Look to the Birds

Look to the Birds is a first-person birdwatching game set in New England and the Canadian Maritimes. The player takes the role of a young birder travelling with their family on a road trip, stopping at a series of locations to observe and photograph local birdlife. There are five hand-built environments in total, each based on the geography of the region and each carrying its own part of the story.

The core activity is spotting birds, listening for their calls and photographing them with an in-game camera. More than 30 North American species appear, ranging from European Starlings to Great Blue Herons, representing a portion of the birds found in the region. Each successful photograph adds to a bird book, where the player can read information about the species, view sketches and notes, and select a preferred photo for the journal page. Filling in the journal unlocks new locations, which bring different scenery, additional species and further story moments that play out in the background.

The game features ambient soundscapes and a music score, with a narrative told through changing scenes and small environmental details rather than direct exposition. The developer describes it as a short experience focused on slowing down and noticing nature. Look to the Birds has now moved from development to full release, and currently holds a Positive rating on Steam from more than ten user reviews.