I didn't know what to expect when it came to Yerba Buena. When I first stepped in, I got strong vibes of The Walking Dead. The presentation, character interactions, and overall atmosphere carried that familiar narrative-driven feel.
Then it hit a sharp corner.
What started as something that felt grounded and story-focused suddenly transformed into a surprisingly clever sci-fi puzzle platforming adventure that pulled me deep into its 1970s-inspired version of San Francisco. The game follows Barb, a woman living as an NPC inside an abandoned game world, where a mysterious glitch threatens the city and forces her into a role she was never meant to play.
Even the carjacking sequence caught me completely off guard.
Okay, okay — before we continue, let's dive into some gameplay.
The Oscillator Changes Everything
This San Francisco adventure takes movement and turns it into Barb's greatest weapon: the Oscillator.
And no, it's not a weapon in the traditional sense.
The Oscillator allows players to copy and paste the physical traits and movement properties of objects throughout the world. Want a concrete platform to bounce like a trampoline? Done. Need a building to move like a passing vehicle? You can do that too. The mechanic becomes the foundation for nearly everything you do throughout the game.
Literally allowing us to copy and paste our way through the story, the Oscillator becomes the key to navigating dangerous situations as well as solving puzzles.
You may be thinking, "Aren't those the same thing?"
I'd say no.
If anything, they overlap.
One is strategy. The other is puzzle-solving.
Trust me, I had to think about it myself.
But I digress.
(Even I'm doing it again...)
Let me break out of this loop and talk about the game's actual loop.
Failure Isn't Always Failure
Another thing I wasn't expecting after that carjacking sequence is how the game handles certain story events.
If something happens to Bear, you'll find yourself getting zapped back before the incident, giving you another opportunity to approach the situation differently. Sometimes the world changes just enough to reveal a solution you may have missed the first time around.
It creates a fascinating blend of experimentation and discovery, encouraging players to rethink their approach rather than simply punishing mistakes.
That design philosophy works especially well because Yerba Buena is already built around manipulating reality and breaking the rules of its own world. The game constantly asks players to look at situations from a different angle, and its rewind-style moments reinforce that mindset.
Portal Fans Should Pay Attention
The fun factor is absolutely flowing through Yerba Buena.
And honestly?
Fans of Portal may find themselves feeling like this is almost a second coming of that formula.
Not because it's a clone.
Not because it's trying to imitate Valve's classic.
But because it captures that same feeling of learning a unique mechanic, mastering it, and then discovering increasingly creative ways to bend the game's rules to your advantage.
The Oscillator's copy-and-paste system gives the game an identity all its own, while the 1970s San Francisco setting, quirky characters, and underlying mystery provide a compelling backdrop for the adventure. Barb's journey from background NPC to central hero creates a premise that feels fresh in a genre where originality can sometimes be hard to find.
Yerba Buena surprised me.
What began as a game that felt like it was heading down one road quickly swerved into a clever, inventive sci-fi adventure packed with personality, creativity, and genuinely satisfying puzzle design.
Whether you're a casual player looking for something different or a hardcore puzzle fan chasing that Portal-style spark, there's a lot here to enjoy.
Don't sleep on this indie gem.
At $24.99, Yerba Buena delivers a compelling blend of mystery and science fiction that makes it an easy recommendation on Steam, PS5, and Xbox.
