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Summary
Every so often, a game comes along that’s able to make its case in just a few seconds of gameplay.SCHiM,developed by Ewoud van der Wouf and Nils Slijkerman and published by Playism, fits this mold perfectly. Focusing on the idea of jumping from shadow to shadow,SCHiMsets up light platforming and puzzle elements in a world that only ever has a couple of colors on screen. It’s a fun, creative concept that can sometimes really shine, but the game isn’t always operating at its highest potential.
SCHiMisgenerally light on plot, but it does follow a basic narrative thrust that opens with a boy, his shadow, and anindistinct spirit in that shadow called a schim. Before long, the two end up separated, and the schim embarks on a journey to reunite with its person. This quest carries the game across 65 levels of widely varying lengths, populated with everything from conveyor belts to umbrellas to lots and lots of vehicles.
Platforming & Puzzles Are Mostly Chill
A Relaxing But Occasionally Challenging Experience
The mechanics ofSCHiMare often as simple as they appear, fixating on the key aspect of jumping even more than the typical platformer does.Landing just outside a shadow can be rectified with a small grace hop, while ending up completely stranded will quickly reset theSCHiMto the last shadow that the game deems relevant. In the earliest levels, these concessions can feel patronizing, but it doesn’t take long to be very thankful for the helping hand.
Like the length of the levels, the difficulty ofSCHiM’s challenges also covers a wide gamut. Some scenes orient the puzzling around shuffling, disorienting intersections, and others double down on theFrogger-like nature of the gameplayfor relatively intense gauntlet runs. Many, however, are more or less just about hopping to the end, and it often embraces the sensibilities of something meant more for relaxation than mastery.
In any setting inSCHiM, the greatest pleasure to be found is usually from nudging objects for reactions.
SCHiM’s shifting nature makes the most sense when thinking of it as a series of vignettes, with each level serving up small scenes of everyday life for the player to poke and prod at. A peek into an efficient factory environment works well for a platforming challenge, while a trip to the grocery store is as straightforward as it seems. In any setting inSCHiM, the greatest pleasure to be found is usually from nudging objects for reactions. Getting sneezes from people and honks from cars can be predictable, but some moments feel genuinely inspired.
SCHiM’s Level Design Isn’t Always At Its Best
Flashes Of Inspiration Only Show Up So Often
The biggest side effect of the vignette approach is how sloppy some environments can feel as levels, andSCHiMnever quite finds a solution to balance exploration and linear structure. Wandering off the beaten path occasionally reveals hidden items or a bit of fun shadow play, but it just as often leads to a blank dead end. Backtracking to follow the indicated objective is repeatedly defeating, and the actual order of progress often feels more arbitrary than guided by any innate sense of trajectory.
In the instances where a great level does come along,SCHiMabsolutely sings, if only briefly. It doesn’t take much to spark a lot of life into the game, and a trip to the golf course that can be resolved in a matter of seconds remains memorable after the credits just for how fresh it felt.SCHiM’s best moments offer a peek into what a game that more frequently and deliberately reinvents itself might feel like, and falling back into more routine sequences can be a rough comedown.
Final Thoughts & Review Score
3/5 - “Good” By Screen Rant’s Review Metrics
As it is,SCHiMis still a nice experience, and there’s a lot to admire about the reverence that the game pays to the smallest of everyday interactions. It’s also hard to deny the strength of its presentation, with a consistent stream of nice color choices and level transitions that make smooth use of minimalist animation.The music is one of the biggest highlights, scratching a similar itch to the low-key butupbeat tunes found in theAnimal Crossingseries.
Simple but great gimmicks can be hard to stretch into a complete game, andSCHiMdefinitely struggles a bit to cross the finish line. It does cross it, though, and the inconsistent results are nonetheless charming and occasionally inspired.SCHiMis a diamond in the rough that really deserves a polish, but even without it, the sparkle can still peek through.
Screen Rantwas provided with a PC download code for the purpose of this review.
