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Watch trailer on Steam ↗Whispers of the sands
Two rivers interactive · Published by Two rivers interactive
Last updated 28 Sept 2026
Listen to the whispers of the sands in this meditative journey. Seek the light of the desert and confront its shadow in meditation. Uncover echoes of lost souls as you survive a boundless sea of dunes.
Adventure, Indie · 2026 · More free games
Embark on a serene adventure through the vast dunes, guided by Two Rivers Interactive. In 2026, uncover the whispers and shadows of the desert as you seek its light.
About this game
Following a voice you seek the desert
Survive the heat of the day, the cold of the night
Let the desert teach you
In meditation you will find what you seek
Whispers of the sands is the archetypical journey of seeking isolation to find truth within.
This is a novel game, enjoy it as you wind down from a hectic day.
With minimal use of UI, let your thoughts flow by as you let the present moment hold your attention.
Survive the Open Desert
Manage your heat - movement adds heat, shadows decrease heat and wind amplifies heat or cold.
Explore and seek shelter in Caves.
Bring a candle to explore deep into dark caves that hides mysteries
Meditate
Gain insights and new abilities in meditation that help you progress in the desert and makes you see things more clear
Gather supplies and build
Simple survival mechanics that aren´t intrusive but serves to ground you in exploring the desert
Seek wisdom
Find remnants from past desert dwellers and get inspired by Sufi poetry
Features
Dual Realms Exploration
Experience two worlds integrated. Make peace with the external Jihad: A logical and realistic desert that is contrasted with the greater inner Jihad, an intuitive and abstract world. The wisdom and insights from this world are intertwined with the other.Minimal UI
There is minimal use of UI and menus. Instead of bars that keep track of hunger, heat, stamina, etc, this is communicated via effects and sounds.Realistic survival
Whispers of the sands is partially a survival game, but you can decide how difficult it will be. Managing your heat is key since it generates thirst. Movement generates heat, Exposure to the Sun or fire generates heat. Stillness and the night generate cold.
Caves negate both heat and cold, while wind makes the heat hotter and the cold colder.
Pay attention and let the desert teach you how to find food, water, ingredients and useful items.True Meditation
Meditation is not just a visual gimmick but is based on true meditation techniques and spiritual insights.Dream world
In sleep, you enter a dreamworld where you may remember lessons learned and find new connections.Story
Whispers of the sands is a mere framework in which the player co-creates reality and meaning.
Make a journey that mirrors real challenges on the road to enlightenment
Learn stories from past desert dwellers, such as a dervish dancer and an ancient cave dwelling peopleSpi-fi
Journey into a “spiritual fiction” fantasy world with spiritual themes from Sufism, Nondualism, Vedanta, Taoism, Zen and BuddhismPoetry
Relevant poems will accompany your journey from poets such as Rumi and Ibn Arabi, 13th - 12th century Sufi mystics.
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: i3
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: RX 5600XT or RTX 2060
- Storage: 30 GB available space
Recommended
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: i5
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: RX 5700XT or RTX 2070
- Storage: 30 GB available space
Supported Languages
*languages with full audio support
Latest news
Community & EventsOfficial
Participating in steam next fest with new demo!
After so much time, it´s finally time to add the final features and content to release. There are many small things added to the demo that should make it a lot smoother exprerience so please try it and as always, feedback is deeply appreciatedRead full article on Community Announcements (TwoRivers)AnnouncementsOfficial
Demo 2.0
Following feedback from my first demo, the game has taken a new direction and now focuses more on story. There is an added prologue and a tutorial before entering the open desert, as well as more content.Read full article on Community Announcements (TwoRivers)AnnouncementsOfficial
New direction!
Thanks everyone who has given feedback to the demo and the game in general. It made me realize that the game and the player need a stronger goal and direction. The main concept behind the game is meditation, and having a goal in meditation is the opposite of what you want to do. Having said that, a game without an obvious goal will never get any attention. I need to balance my vision of the game with the reality of gamers. So I am leaning more into story elements: 1. Call of the Light/meteorite: There is a light or something visual in the desert that the player should go towards 2. The watcher in the dunes: A dark figure that represents the player's shadow and ego that shows itself. 3. The echo of the Seeker: Letters and things left by other seekers/dwellers of the desert who have been on a similar journey. To flesh out the world building and give it history, I will have: 1. Cave drawings from a past era (stone age) that have also been on a similar journey. 2. Ancient temples from a past civilization 3. Bones from dead animals that tell a story/poetry. And on top of that we have the player with the most important story: their own. This is told In the Meditation that helps the player progress in the desert. In player dreams that enforce these lessons, but also flashbacks from the life before: a vapid life of boring work, shallow social life and buying things to be happy.Read full article on Community Announcements (TwoRivers)AnnouncementsOfficial
Demo Available on Steam
I´s very hard to imagine how it is for someone who play this game for the first time for me, iv´e been knee deep in it for such a long time and it haunt my dreams. So I am very very very happy if you could take your time to give me some feedback, especially if there are things you don´t understand. The game is not in a specific genre and is a very novel thing so it´s difficult to guide the player. If you record yourself playing >20 minutes with commentary and send to me (via my discord, youtube or X) I will gift you a free copy on release. This offer expires May 2025.Read full article on Community Announcements (TwoRivers)AnnouncementsOfficial
Pre demo available!
Finally the new demo is finished. It´s only an early build for now though and can only be downloaded on Itch. After some feedback and more work I will make it available here on Steam. Trailer: https://youtu.be/5q4vL_yZP8s Itch.IO: https://tworiversinteractive.itch.io/whispers-of-the-sandsRead full article on Community Announcements (TwoRivers)
