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Bonbon

Bonbon Game Cover
74%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
optimization, stability
74% User Score Based on 178 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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Bonbon Game Cover

About

Bonbon is a single player simulation game with a horror theme. It was developed by Aetheric and was released on October 24, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Bonbon" is a single-player Horror Simulation game that takes approximately 8 hours to complete. The game is a short, authentically disturbing tale of domestic horror, set in a 1980s home filled with friendly toys and a sinister new presence. Critics praise its clever storytelling, atmospheric setting, and the unsettling confusion between reality and imagination, making it a memorable horror experience.

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Bonbon screenshot
Bonbon screenshot
Bonbon screenshot
Bonbon screenshot
Bonbon screenshot
Bonbon screenshot
Bonbon screenshot
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74%
Audience ScoreBased on 178 reviews
story13 positive mentions
stability4 negative mentions
  • Bonbon offers a unique and unsettling atmosphere that effectively captures the perspective of a child, making for a memorable horror experience.
  • The game is short but creatively designed, providing a quick yet impactful narrative that leaves players feeling disturbed and nostalgic.
  • Despite its flaws, the game has moments of genuine creepiness and effective storytelling, making it worth a playthrough for fans of indie horror.
  • The controls are clunky and frustrating, often hindering gameplay and causing issues with movement and interaction.
  • The game is extremely short, typically lasting only 20-40 minutes, which many players feel does not justify the price.
  • Technical issues, such as bugs and glitches, detract from the overall experience, leaving players feeling that the game is unfinished.
  • story
    42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its unique and immersive narrative that explores themes of childhood and parental absence, while others criticize it for being minimal, poorly executed, and lacking depth. Although there are moments of effective storytelling and intriguing metaphors, many reviewers feel that the overall experience is short and lacks satisfying plot progression. Technical issues and pacing problems further detract from the storytelling, leaving it feeling underdeveloped despite its potential.

    • “The early 1980's British home, the father stuck working late, having to listen to your father's bedtime story on cassette tape were all elements of good storytelling (told subtly through the mechanism of the game).”
    • “Interesting little story that kept me guessing till the end.”
    • “This is truly great, you see the world through the eyes of a child and get immersed into the story all while it is built up to the finale!”
    • “The gameplay is extremely minimal, the story is meh; there's some dark metaphors and messages to leave with, but the experience overall is short and a little lackluster.”
    • “Bonbon gets good for half a second when you feed cake to a giant rat, but then you literally sit in a bed for three minutes listening to a story on a tape recorder from an actor who is either deeply untalented or bored with the material; they phone in a performance without intonation or emphasis on any of the words, and so it is not even vaguely creepy.”
    • “The story ends up feeling like nothing really happened.”
  • gameplay
    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is generally described as minimal and basic, focusing primarily on simple tasks like picking up toys, which many players found repetitive and lacking depth. While some appreciated the atmospheric elements and narrative integration, the overall experience is criticized for being short, clunky, and not engaging enough to warrant replay value. Many reviewers suggest that the game has potential but requires significant improvements in gameplay mechanics and content.

    • “As a pet rat owner, I found this game a bit unsettling, but I really did enjoy the gameplay on my second playthrough.”
    • “The gameplay is not extensive, but for the little there is, it builds an atmosphere with subtle (and some unsubtle) techniques.”
    • “The gameplay is pretty great; nothing revolutionary, but it really complements the narrative well.”
    • “The gameplay is extremely minimal, the story is meh, there's some dark metaphors and messages to leave with, but the experience overall is short and a little lackluster.”
    • “The controls are weird and wonky, the gameplay is too short, there's not much to do, and it's pretty boring. No replay value, the cutscenes are unskippable, and all you do is walk around and pick up toys while a weird giant rat stares at you. Overall, it's not very good, and you're better off watching a gameplay video on YouTube.”
    • “The only criticisms I'd have are that the early gameplay focuses too much on fetching objects and that the game is very short (about 25 minutes is what it took for me to finish it).”
  • graphics
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the aesthetic appeal and detail, while others criticize the lack of resolution options and performance issues, particularly on certain hardware. Some users noted that the visuals contribute positively to the atmosphere and overall experience, despite occasional murkiness and glitches. Overall, while the graphics are generally seen as a strong point, they are hampered by technical limitations and inconsistent performance.

    • “The idea of the game is really creative and the graphics are pretty good.”
    • “The graphics are definitely a plus in my books, and the game does have its creepy moments.”
    • “The graphics and sound are well done and the scares are well timed.”
    • “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
    • “There is no mouse options, no proper graphics option just low, medium, and high; no matter what settings you use, it feels like it's running poorly.”
    • “The graphics are okay, but they have that weird haze to them that's generally used to mask low quality assets.”
  • atmosphere
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unsettling and immersive qualities, effectively evoking feelings of paranoia and dread. Reviewers highlight the unique perspective of experiencing the world through an infant's eyes, along with the garbled speech and retro toy visuals that enhance the creepy ambiance. Despite some criticisms of gameplay and design, the overall atmosphere is described as a compelling and memorable aspect that leaves a lasting impression.

    • “It has an interesting visual style, an unsettling atmosphere that brings out acute paranoia and unique quirks that make the game's world interesting such as how the game is through the eyes of an infant and how all the speech is garbled and distorted.”
    • “A short, atmosphere-rich experience that will take you back to the surreal nightmares and irrational thought processes of your childhood... a bite-sized slice of nostalgic terror!”
    • “The gameplay is not extensive, but for the little there is, it builds an atmosphere with subtle (and some unsubtle) techniques.”
    • “While it's certainly not the most technically impressive game that has ever existed, it really manages to keep up the uncomfortable atmosphere the whole way through.”
    • “The real draw of this game is its unrelenting dreadful atmosphere.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game is generally considered acceptable, with some users noting that while certain moments can be engaging, others suffer from pacing issues and lackluster performances that detract from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, there is potential for the game to shine with better optimization.

    • “I think this game can be really good if just made with optimization in mind... this game is really good, and I recommend it to anyone that comes across it!”
    • “On the up side, the optimization here is fine.”
    • “Bonbon gets good for half a second when you feed cake to a giant rat, but then you literally sit in a bed for three minutes listening to a story on a tape recorder from an 'actor' who is either deeply untalented or bored with the material; they phone in a performance without intonation or emphasis on any of the words, and so it is not even vaguely creepy.”
    • “Hey, shitty performance also works in context; seeing as a baby can’t always process what they see in a comprehensive fashion (and the human eye can only see 19 frames per second).”
  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting clunky gameplay and numerous glitches that hinder progress and enjoyment. Many players experience frustrating bugs that disrupt the gaming experience, making it difficult to complete the game.

    • “The gameplay is clunky, and there are glitches that prevent me from finishing the game.”
    • “The controls are buggy and glitchy.”
    • “It's really a horror game, but it's more of a horror game filled with bugs and glitches!”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers minimal replayability, with a completion time of under 20 minutes and limited content to engage players. Users criticize the lack of meaningful gameplay and the presence of unskippable cutscenes, leading to a generally boring experience. Overall, it is deemed a poor value for money, with little incentive to replay.

    • “You can complete the game in less than 20 minutes, making this terrible value for money, with no replayability (although there's a couple of achievements if you care about that).”
    • “The controls are weird and wonky, the gameplay is too short, there's not much to do, and it's pretty boring... no replay value. The cutscenes are unskippable, and all you do is walk around and pick up toys while a weird giant rat stares at you. Overall, it's not very good, and you're better off watching a gameplay video on YouTube.”
    • “However, I think this is a straightforward play with not much in the replay value.”
  • emotional
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game "Bonbon" is praised for its emotional depth, featuring a heartwarming narrative centered around a toddler and a giant mouse. While the story may initially seem vague, it culminates in a genius and heart-wrenching conclusion that resonates with players.

    • “Bonbon is the heartwarming story about a toddler playing with a giant mouse named Bonbon. You clean up your toys, watch cartoons, and get spooked a bunch—it's all the typical stuff you'd expect.”
    • “While ultimately the story at the start may feel vague, the payoff in the closing moments is both genius and heart-wrenching.”
    • “Emotional and clever game.”
  • music
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is highly praised for its quality and integration with the overall aesthetics, contributing positively to the experience. While some players noted issues with movement mechanics, the strong musical elements help to enhance the game's appeal.

    • “The art, music, and style all look and sound great, though the movement is really clunky and slow. But it doesn't really matter too much as it'll be over before you know it.”
    • “Everything from the aesthetics, voice acting, music, and story was pretty great.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its quirky characters, particularly a large rat with a comical appearance, which evokes a sense of nostalgia and dark whimsy reminiscent of childhood experiences. Players appreciate the blend of humor and surreal elements that contribute to an entertaining atmosphere.

    • “I only bought this game because of my friend, as I thought it was funny since there's a big rat trying to be as close as possible, and it has a weird face.”
    • “Dark, dreamy, and funny sensations you can recall from childhood.”
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8h Median play time
8h Average play time
1h Main story
1h Completionist
8-8h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Bonbon is a simulation game with horror theme.

Bonbon is available on PC and Windows.

The main story can be completed in around 1 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 1 hours to finish. On average players spend around 8 hours playing Bonbon.

Bonbon was released on October 24, 2017.

Bonbon was developed by Aetheric.

Bonbon has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

Bonbon is a single player game.

Similar games include Among the Sleep, Psalm 5:9-13, Welcome to Kowloon, Suite 776, The Convenience Store and others.