Lurking in the shadows can be a good thing, and in fact, that’s more or less the core concept of Schim – a small shadow creature that has to reach places and complete objectives by hopping from one shadow to another. Intriguing concept, but is it a fun game? Let’s find out in this Xbox Series X review for Schim!
Deppres-Schim
The game may seem very cheerful and happy on a visual level. In fact, the player can control a small, fluffy ball of shadows (think of the goo balls in World Of Goo) in these cute little monochrome pictogram-like worlds with a 45-degree rotatable top view. Using minimalist pop-up graphics, the game relies on clear and legible imagery, with the dark shadows projected by each object, be it a post, a bike, a moving car or a trash can, standing out for their striking darkness.
These shadows are part of the core gameplay loop, but shadows also play a role in the game’s narrative – figuratively speaking. While most of this is very early gameplay footage, I don’t want to give too many details away as I found it to be quite impactful and well done. However, the initial wholesome impression seen in trailers and screenshots presents a rather depressing context as we initially control one man’s struggles and descent into depression. In these sections, players can control both a top-view character in these worlds and the aforementioned shadow blog, although most of the time is spent controlling just the latter.
Too cold for Schim-er
As we said, in most shadow games, the player controls a shadowy figure – and this time it’s not a metaphor, but a cute little eyed blob of shadow that can only move effectively between shadows. The goal is quite simple: jump from one shadow to another to reach a specific location. This can range from a specific area on the map to stepping into the shadow of a moving person, and usually involves a certain amount of top-down platforming and solving some puzzles.
The latter can happen in a number of ways, but usually boils down to certain shadows being too far away to reach, so the player has to find ways to create brand new shadows for our character to move through. This can be done by interacting with certain objects to move them, dropping them on the ground, turning certain lights on or off, and more. In fact, our little blob can effectively “nudge” any object whose shadow it is in – usually this just makes the object shake for a second and then return to normal, but in the case of interactive objects or people, this action can provoke various reactions.
Shadow of the hedge, the pig and other things
These bite-sized levels can also be visually rotated 90 degrees at a time, allowing players to see different perspectives and often previously unseen shadows. Often the solution simply comes down to noticing an elusive shadow or finding the right time to jump on a moving shadow. There’s also some trial and error involved, with some of the puzzles and exit triggers feeling a little random. That said, I’ve never been stuck on a particular map for more than a few minutes unless I was looking for that area’s secret item – of which there is always one.
There’s not much to say about performance. Our testing on Xbox Series X went without any issues and performance was smooth all around. Quick Resume is supported, so I was able to easily jump between Schim’s puzzles and some other titles and even save my progress in the middle of a puzzle without any problems. The music is relaxed and soothing, with an elegant mix of pianos, synths, ukuleles and more accompanying us in this urban, jazzy soundscape.
Treat me like a shadow
Schim is certainly sweet, charming, and offers a surprisingly emotional look at the themes of depression and midlife crisis. Perhaps it could deepen its arguments even further and even be a bit more daring with its gameplay. With a play time of only about 3 hours and limited replay value, the launch price of $24.99/€24.99 seems a bit excessive, and I would definitely recommend waiting for a sale. But when that sale comes, you might want to consider Schim: it’s a pretty nice little game with an intriguing concept and even a good message for its players.
Schim
Played on
Xbox Series X
ADVANTAGES
- Fascinating concept
- A surprisingly emotional premise
- Great art style
DISADVANTAGES
- Very repetitive gameplay
- Lots of trial-and-error puzzles
- The introductory price seems high for such a short game
