Perfect Tides: Station to Station Review
Perfect Tides Station to Station: Title Screen Meredith Gran / Three Bees 2026 version 0.7.4
Meredith Gran’s Perfect Tides series of adventure games, chronicle everyone’s unique adventure, growing up. I played on a PC with a keyboard and mouse. According to the developer, a controller can be used to play as well. Perfect Tides: Station to Station uses a streamlined interface and engaging pixel-art and music to relate a year in the life of Mara Whitefish at college. Like its predecessor, this sequel is published by Meredith’s company Three Bees. Playing Perfect Tides: Station to Station reveals realistic characters and settings. They are part of a heart-wrenching narrative filled with real trials many adventurers will understand.
The game starts with Mara couch surfing at her friend Daniel’s apartment in 2003. They discuss the trials of maturing as a writer over breakfast. Here the game gives a thoughtful tutorial on how to use its interface. It controls every aspect of Mara’s life: Her movement, gathering and using items, talking to characters, her writing and education and saving and loading the game. Left-clicking on a spot on the screen causes Mara to walk over there. Right-clicking on a spot presents its description. Left-clicking on an item compels Mara to walk over and pick it up. She stores her inventory of objects at the top of the screen. Right-clicking on an object provides its description. Left-clicking on an object prepares it for use in the game. Releasing the left button over a spot on screen makes Mara try to use the selected item there. The game informs adventurers if they are successful. Combing objects requires left-clicking on an object, moving it over a potential partner, and left-clicking again. If possible, the two items will combine. Mara uses a few objects. But her inventory of information is vastly more important.
Left-clicking on a character causes Mara to engage them in casual conversation. Holding down the left button causes Mara to have a deeper conversation with them. When you hold down the left button. Mara brings up her cell phone. It has two buttons, a “P” and a “T” Left-clicking on “P” activates the list of people Mara encounters during her activities. Left-clicking on one of them causes Mara to engage the character in a conversation about the selected person. Left-clicking on “T” brings up a list of topics. Topics range from the city to Anarchism, to death. Left-clicking on a topic compels Mara to start a conversation about it. The more Mara talks about a topic, the more information she will obtain. Mara also learns information through reading books. She can read books on many subjects. Adventurers must pick the book she reads. Choosing a book involves left-clicking on the read icon, left-clicking on a book title, and left-clicking on read. Her valuable time is fleeting. She can only read one book a day. When reading is possible, the reading icon will illuminate.
Perfect Tides: Station to Station writing assignment selection screen. Meredith Gran / Three Bees 2026 version 0.7.4
When she’s not reading and writing papers, Mara lives the life of a college student. She goes to class, parties and work. She also involves herself in a few romantic relationships. Adventurers guide her through a phone call to end a toxic relationship. They help her by left-clicking on answers to questions. Most of the puzzles in this game require observation and common sense to conquer. The breakup phone call is more difficult. Adventurers need to remember one of the purposes of college to conquer it; learning to be responsible for adult decisions. If Mara answers the question incorrectly the game ends. Fortunately, there’s an easy method to save and load the game. You save the game by moving the mouse to the top of the screen and left-clicking the save icon. Or by pressing F5. Adventurers may write a descriptive label for their game and left-click on “Save “to save their game. They load the game by left-clicking the Load Icon at the top of the screen, left-clicking on a label, and then left-clicking on “Load.” Happily, the game saves automatically at important scenes. Once adventurers reach the Load screen, they have the option to left-click on “Autosave” to return to important scenes.
Mara’s world is composed of great pixel-art settings inhabited by well-animated characters. My favorite character is Lilly because of the camaraderie between her and Mara. It’s evident from their dialog that they have known each for a long time.
The music fits the story. It’s raucous in some places, like bars, and sedate in others, like a library. My favorite tune is at the beach. It brings summer to mind.
Perfect Tides: Station to Station: Mara at a carnival with friend. Meredith Gran / Three Bees 2026 version 0.7.4
Perfect Tides: Station to Station is a wonderful game that celebrates everyone’s unique adventure, maturing and growing up. Its ingenious writing mechanic increases realism and offers branching paths that will entice adventurers to replay it.
Meredith Gran’s Perfect Ties Station to Station is available on Steam starting January 22, 2026, and Nintendo Switch soon.
Score: 10/10