This year, I was quite excited about the title Schim, and it pretty well lived up to the hype. Schim is a platformer game at its core with an original and intriguing plot. Here, a tiny, frog-like organism called a Schim inhabits every living thing, including objects. Although these beings live in the shadows created by their hosts, they are susceptible to disconnection or loss when major changes occur in their host, such as abuse or neglect. Both the gameplay mechanics and the game’s narrative journey are built around this core idea.
As a player, you assume the role of a Schim that has been separated from its human companion. This human is enduring a challenging phase in their life, and the overarching goal of the game is to navigate through various environments to reconnect with them. The game’s mechanics revolve around the notion that you can only traverse through shadows and leap from one shadowy area to another. This restriction necessitates careful navigation and timing, as missing a jump allows for a brief opportunity to make an additional attempt to reach the intended shadow. This mechanic introduces an element of strategy and precision that adds depth to the platforming experience.
The developers, Ewoud van der Werf and Nils Slijkerman, have infused Schim with a great deal of creativity and whimsy. Throughout the game, you encounter various ways to interact with the environment, such as hopping between the shadows of trees and animals or using bounce houses to travel greater distances. These playful elements keep the gameplay dynamic and engaging. However, while the game’s design is imaginative, I did encounter a few frustrating moments. For instance, mastering the timing for jumps between conveyor belts in a factory level proved challenging. Additionally, launching the Schim from a spinning rotary clothesline presented some difficulty, which affected the overall fluidity of the gameplay.
One of Schim’s most inventive aspects is its treatment of light sources and shadows. The game makes excellent use of inconsistent lighting and shifting shadows to create intriguing puzzles and obstacles. These mechanics are executed with a high degree of creativity, resulting in moments of visual and mechanical brilliance. The way the game plays with shadows that stretch, shrink, or disappear adds a layer of complexity and wonder to the platforming experience. Despite this innovation, there were instances where the game’s creativity felt somewhat constrained by a sense of repetition. Many stages are set in urban environments, where the objects and structures you interact with can become monotonous. This repetitiveness can detract from the overall experience, especially as the game progresses. By the time I reached the midway point, I found myself eagerly anticipating the Schim’s reunion with its human, which is not ideal for a game that lasts around three hours.
The visual design of Schim is perhaps its most striking feature. Each level employs a limited color palette, focusing on a few primary colors and various shades of black to represent shadows, objects, and characters. This minimalist approach creates a visually stunning and artistically coherent world. The combination of music, animations, and backgrounds contributes to an experience that often felt like engaging with a living work of art. The game’s aesthetic is memorable and impressive, making it a visually appealing experience that stands out in the platforming genre.
Schim has a heartfelt story that touches on mental health and the challenges people encounter on a daily basis in addition to its striking aesthetic. The journey to reunite the Schim with its human companion gains additional significance due to this emotional depth in the game. The epilogue, which brings the Schim’s mission to a satisfactory close and makes an imprint, is very fulfilling.
Schim is a game full of original concepts and imaginative mechanics. It’s a fun and visually appealing platformer even though it could use more variety in its environments and suffers from some repetition. The game is a notable contribution to the genre because of its original movement mechanics and well-considered story. Schim delivers a unique and unforgettable experience, regardless of whether you are captivated to its visually striking presentation or its captivating gameplay. Playable on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch right now, the game also runs smoothly on the Steam Deck. Schim is a platformer that blends imaginative physics with an endearing tale, so give it a try if you’re in the mood for something different.
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