Bear With Me

87%
Game Brain Score Based on 251 reviews
  • story
  • humor
  • graphics
Bear With Me Game Cover
It's like Playschool after dark.
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"Bear With Me" is an episodic noir adventure game where Amber, helped by her teddy bear sidekick Ted E. Bear, searches for her missing brother amidst a series of fires and suspects in the illustrated Paper City. The game features a unique 2D art style, clever dialogues full of puns, and various puzzles to solve. Be prepared for a gritty, yet humorous journey with a mysterious arsonist on the loose.

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Reviews

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 251 reviews
story70 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • The game features fantastic graphics and a well-crafted atmosphere that captures the noir aesthetic beautifully.
  • The writing is sharp and humorous, with clever dialogue and engaging character interactions, particularly from the voice of Ted E. Bear.
  • The puzzles are enjoyable and the story, while short, is intriguing and leaves players wanting to know more about the characters and their journey.
  • The first episode is very short, leaving players feeling like they only experienced a prologue rather than a complete chapter.
  • Some puzzles can be frustrating due to pixel hunting and a lack of clear direction, which can detract from the overall experience.
  • The episodic structure may not appeal to everyone, as it requires purchasing additional episodes to continue the story, which can feel like a cash grab.
  • story185 mentions

    The story of "Bear With Me" is a unique blend of noir detective themes and a child's imaginative perspective, featuring a young girl and her stuffed bear partner on a quest to find her missing brother. Reviewers praise its engaging narrative, clever writing, and emotional depth, though some note that the story can be predictable and the pacing uneven. Overall, the game is recommended for its intriguing plot, memorable characters, and a mix of humor and darker themes, making it a compelling experience for fans of story-driven adventures.

    • “The story and narration are highly developed with a cross between a child’s imagination and your typical detective novel.”
    • “With its beautiful storytelling, well-crafted characters, and a delightful tongue-in-cheek nod to film noir, Bear With Me shines and I can't recommend it enough.”
    • “The story is great and is told with a clever mixture of humor and tragedy.”
    • “The story of [i]bear with me[/i] is fairly predictable all the way through the end.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game seems just to be designed around that story and lacks in some proper game mechanics to tell this story effectively.”
    • “For me this game has a boring and slow-paced storyline.”
  • humor87 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing, engaging dialogue, and effective use of fourth-wall breaks and pop culture references, creating a mix of lightheartedness and darker themes. While many players find the humor to be on point and enjoyable, some critiques mention that certain jokes can feel forced or predictable, and the balance between humor and serious moments may not resonate with everyone. Overall, the game is considered funny and charming, with a unique blend of quirky characters and witty banter that enhances the overall experience.

    • “Overall, I think the game has a fantastic sense of humor.”
    • “The dialogue is hilarious.”
    • “I love this game; it's got a great interesting story, amazing art, and funny dialogue!”
    • “The out-of-place humor feels forced and fails to lighten the dreary, tedious story.”
    • “The jokes are repetitive and lack originality, making them more annoying than funny.”
    • “The attempts at humor often fall flat, leaving the overall experience feeling dull.”
  • graphics44 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique art style, which blends noir elements with a cute, hand-drawn aesthetic, creating a visually engaging experience. While some users noted the absence of cutting-edge 4K graphics, the crisp visuals and effective artwork are considered well-suited for the point-and-click genre, enhancing the overall storytelling and humor. The combination of charming character designs, consistent animation, and a fitting color palette contributes to a captivating atmosphere that resonates with players.

    • “The artwork and visuals are effective, crisp, and a fun medium for the point-and-click genre.”
    • “All of the characters are pure gold for various reasons, the humor is on point and in the end the visuals even fit into all of it perfectly, representing the feeling and the underlying darkness of the story.”
    • “The graphics look hand-drawn and it gives an extra sort of feeling to it, not negatively of course.”
    • “Very slow adventure game, grayscale visuals, falling-flat puns and about one or two dozens of irrelevant objects to inspect for each relevant one.”
    • “Although the art style is alright, the assets and animation are just not very good.”
    • “About how the writing is lazy and how the graphic artists are lazy and so on and so on.”
  • atmosphere34 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Bear With Me" is widely praised for its unique blend of noir elements and a child's imaginative world, creating a moody and engaging setting. Reviewers highlight the effective use of voice acting and humor, alongside a compelling story that enhances the overall experience. While some note the minimal use of music, the atmospheric design and black-and-white visuals contribute significantly to the game's charm and intrigue.

    • “The uniqueness of Bear With Me is the atmosphere created by the juxtaposition of a hardboiled detective story with a child's imagination and sensibility.”
    • “The uniqueness of bear with me is the atmosphere created by the juxtaposition of a hardboiled detective story with a child's imagination and sensibility.”
    • “Blending a noir-like atmosphere and dialogue with the interactions between a child and her anthropomorphic friends leads to some rich slices of a world.”
    • “A light-hearted, playful atmosphere belies an incredibly clever telling of a compelling story.”
  • gameplay26 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized as a traditional point-and-click adventure, featuring classic mechanics such as inventory management and puzzle-solving, reminiscent of older titles like Sam and Max. While it offers a charming atmosphere filled with humor and engaging storytelling, some reviewers noted a lack of innovation and brevity in gameplay duration. Overall, it is well-executed within its genre, appealing to fans of classic point-and-click games despite its conventional approach.

    • “This brought back memories of playing classics like Sam and Max. It has a beautiful sense of humor and a chilled gameplay mechanic that you don't get from most games.”
    • “Quite interesting, remarkable among the point-and-click games, with a thought-out plot and good gameplay.”
    • “Gameplay is the usual point-and-click style; moving around the environment, picking up clues and objects which can be crafted to produce tools to progress through the area.”
    • “From a gameplay standpoint, 'Bear With Me' adds nothing new to the point-and-click genre.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game seems just to be designed around that story and lacks some proper game mechanics to tell this story effectively.”
    • “There is nothing new or groundbreaking as far as gameplay goes; it's your typical point-and-click adventure game where you collect everything you find and use/combine them to advance the story.”
  • music23 mentions

    The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many players praising the soundtrack for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and complement the game's themes, particularly the film-noir elements. While some noted a lack of consistent music throughout the gameplay, those moments when music is present are described as effective and memorable, contributing to the overall experience. Overall, the combination of music, voice acting, and art style creates an engaging and enjoyable ambiance.

    • “And I'm definitely not a noir/thriller fan - trust me, you'll love this :p there are few point n' click games (and this is completely indie!) that have such high standards when it comes to every single compartment, soundtrack included.”
    • “The soundtrack was great, the voice acting was also very good & also quite amusing at times.”
    • “The original music was excellent as well in solidifying that film-noir aura.”
    • “As for what needs work in my opinion, well... let's start with the music.”
    • “In every other area of the game, there is no music at all.”
    • “There isn’t much music to speak of, though when it does appear it’s used effectively to build up atmosphere; however, it’s needed (also that title screen music… it’s really really creepy and I can’t get it out of my head).”
  • emotional15 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching story and well-developed characters, which evoke a range of feelings from laughter to tears. While some players appreciated the depth and heartfelt themes, others felt unprepared for the emotional weight, particularly given the seemingly lighthearted premise. Overall, the game successfully creates an emotional connection, making it a memorable experience for many players.

    • “I enjoyed the characters and the story, and the ending is touching.”
    • “Beautiful story, great characters, and an emotional depth that is rare in gaming.”
    • “I laughed, I cried, and at the end, I felt like the story had been told well.”
  • grinding7 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and sluggish, with frustrating movement and lengthy interactions that detract from the overall experience. While the game is designed to be a relaxing point-and-click adventure, the repetitive tasks and pixel-hunting can become monotonous, leading to a less enjoyable gameplay experience.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
    • “The grind is satisfying and offers a real sense of progression.”
    • “With a blend of sluggish movement, animated scene transitions, and rarely working double-clicks, backtracking is also needlessly tedious.”
    • “Talking to characters is long and tedious.”
    • “While the graphics are very cute, this game also gets pretty tedious at times.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, users report mixed experiences with stability; while some encounter frequent glitches during conversations, particularly in the second chapter, others experience no technical issues at all. This inconsistency suggests that stability may vary significantly between different players.

    • “Glitches: In the second chapter, I only just left the bay, but so far every conversation has been glitching. Once or twice, every character skips the last word(s) as if you've clicked your mouse.”
  • character development2 mentions

    The game features impressive character development, effectively showcasing depth and personality despite a limited playtime and screen presence for some characters. Each character is well-designed with unique quirks that enhance the dialogue and overall narrative experience.

    • “There's some fantastic character development in this game, especially given the short playtime and what little screen time some of the characters do get.”
    • “Great character design, with each character having little quirks that contribute to very engaging dialogue.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers notable replayability due to multiple choice points that influence character outcomes, although these choices do not significantly alter the overall ending. Players appreciate the opportunity to explore different paths, enhancing the game's replay value.

    • “It has replay value! <3”
    • “This game definitely has replay value, as there are a few points at which you can make choices that affect character outcomes, though I don't believe these choices will ultimately change the end of the story.”
    • “After completing the game once, I found little incentive to play through it again. The story remains largely the same, and the choices feel superficial.”
    • “While there are multiple endings, the paths to reach them are so similar that it doesn't feel worth replaying the game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

68% average critic score

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Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
5-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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