It follows a young woman named Alba who must travel with her wolf companion Neva across four seasons in a world corrupted by darkness.

[1] Neva is a side-scrolling platform game in which players need to solve environmental puzzles and fight creatures of the darkness to progress.

The story originally revolved around two humans, though the team scrapped this plan as they were impressed by the early drafts for Neva.

In the game, which was divided into four chapters, Neva slowly turns from a timid young cub, to a teenager eager to jump headfirst into dangers, into a fully-grown adult.

[13] Keza MacDonald from The Guardian lauded the game, commending its "extraordinary visuals and elegant animation" and "chest-tighteningly effective music".

[14] Writing for Polygon, Nicole Carpenter wrote that the combat encounters show "the evolution of Alba and Neva’s relationship rather than existing as an element of sheer challenge", and that its runtime was suitable for game that was "ethereal" and "devastatingly beautiful".

He compared it to films by Studio Ghibli, applauding its art design and its ability to tell a story that is "highly accessible and deeply affecting".

[15] While Jessica Conditt from Engadget described Neva as a "light and responsive platformer",[5] Alice Bell from Rock, Paper, Shotgun felt that the combat lacked precision.