Bonbon

About

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 162 reviews

story13 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game effectively creates a creepy atmosphere and successfully evokes childhood fears, making it a unique horror experience.
The story is intriguing and leaves players guessing, with some memorable moments that stand out.
Visually appealing with a nostalgic touch, the game captures the essence of childhood imagination and the surreal nature of dreams.

The gameplay is very short, typically lasting only 20-40 minutes, which many players feel does not justify the price.
Controls are clunky and frustrating, making movement and interaction cumbersome, which detracts from the overall experience.
The game suffers from technical issues, including bugs and glitches that can hinder progress and immersion.

story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
57%
10%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its unique and immersive narrative that captures the perspective of a child, while others criticize its lack of depth and engaging gameplay. Many reviews highlight the potential of the story, noting effective moments and a heartwarming twist, but also point out issues with pacing, voice acting, and overall execution. Ultimately, the story is seen as intriguing yet underdeveloped, leaving players wanting more substance and coherence.
- “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!”
- “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 description says 'as your parents increasingly demonstrate their absence, you spend time with Bonbon, a large, overbearing and ambiguous visitor...' other than mom and dad fighting slightly and dad recording a rather inappropriate bedtime story instead of reading it himself, that description falls flat.”
- “The story ends up feeling like nothing really happened.”
gameplay
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
57%
13%
The gameplay has been widely criticized for being overly simplistic and repetitive, primarily revolving around picking up toys, which many players found tedious and lacking depth. While the atmosphere and visuals received praise, the short duration (around 25-30 minutes) and clunky controls detracted from the overall experience, leading to a consensus that the game offers little replay value and is better suited for watching rather than playing. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a missed opportunity, with potential for improvement if more engaging mechanics were introduced.
- “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.”
- “While the controls are frustrating, the gameplay is somewhat confusing at times, and the general production is a little underwhelming; I did find it a decent experience.”
- “The mechanics in this game ruin the experience.”
- “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. The part where you put toys in the box is glitchy; the toys often fly out, and collision issues occur. Overall, it's not very good, and you're better off watching a gameplay video on YouTube. I hardly ever leave bad reviews, but I had to for this game. Sorry, developers!”
- “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
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
42%
16%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the overall visual appeal and atmospheric details, while others criticize the lack of resolution options and performance issues, particularly on certain hardware. Some users noted that the visuals can feel murky or low-quality at times, detracting from the experience. Overall, while the graphics are generally seen as a strong point, technical limitations and inconsistencies prevent them from reaching their full potential.
- “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
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
37%
27%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its unsettling and immersive qualities, effectively evoking feelings of paranoia and dread. While some critiques mention gameplay shortcomings, the unique visual style and clever use of childhood themes contribute to a rich, nostalgic horror experience that resonates with players. Overall, the game excels in creating a compelling atmosphere that enhances its short but impactful narrative.
- “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 game-play is bad, the atmosphere is bad, even the map design is counter-intuitive nonsense.”
- “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
50%
50%
The optimization of the game is generally viewed as acceptable, with some users noting that while certain moments can be engaging, there are instances of poor performance, particularly in voice acting, that detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, some players believe the game has potential if optimization is prioritized in future updates.
- “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
100%
The game's stability is frequently criticized due to clunky gameplay and numerous glitches that hinder progress, making it difficult for players to complete the experience. Many users report frustrating bugs that disrupt controls and overall immersion.
- “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 about the horror of bugs and glitches!”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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 play again.
- “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
100%
The game "Bonbon" is praised for its emotional depth, featuring a heartwarming narrative centered around a toddler and a giant mouse companion. 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
100%
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. 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
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its quirky characters, particularly a large, oddly-faced rat that adds a whimsical touch. Players appreciate the blend of dark and nostalgic comedic elements that evoke childhood memories, contributing to an overall amusing experience.
- “I only bought this game because of my friend; 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.”