Bye Sweet Carole

About

Bye Sweet Carole is a single player survival action adventure game with horror and fantasy themes. It was developed by Little Sewing Machine and was released on October 9, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Bye Sweet Carole is a fantasy adventure that follows Lana’s mysterious journey through the enchanting kingdom of Corrola. Players explore a richly crafted world filled with captivating characters, uncovering secrets through evocative storytelling and atmospheric visuals. The experience is enhanced by a beautiful soundtrack and exclusive artwork that deepen the immersive narrative.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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68%

Audience ScoreBased on 460 reviews

story140 positive mentions

gameplay37 negative mentions

The art style is stunning and reminiscent of classic Disney animation, creating a visually captivating experience.
The story touches on heavy themes such as loss, grief, and feminism, providing emotional depth to the narrative.
The game features charming characters and a whimsical atmosphere that draws players into its world.

The gameplay is often clunky and unresponsive, leading to frustrating experiences during platforming and chase sequences.
Numerous bugs and glitches can result in game-breaking issues, forcing players to restart or lose progress.
The narrative can feel heavy-handed and lacks subtlety, with some dialogue and themes being overly simplistic or repetitive.

story
462 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
65%
5%
The story of "Bye Sweet Carole" is a blend of whimsical Disney-inspired aesthetics and darker themes, exploring complex issues such as grief, feminism, and personal growth. While many players appreciate its emotional depth and artistic presentation, critiques often highlight its convoluted plot, pacing issues, and reliance on clichés, leading to mixed feelings about its execution. Overall, the narrative resonates with some players for its heartfelt moments, but others find it lacking coherence and depth, making it a polarizing experience.
- “While the story presents itself as a classic Disney story involving a princess in a fantastical world, it ends up being much more modern and mature with more important morals.”
- “The story is engaging and the design is beyond beautiful.”
- “The story is mysterious and emotionally gripping, with Lana’s journey through unsettling environments and strange creatures keeping me hooked from start to finish.”
- “To put it short, the story was a mess and at the end a lot of things are not solved.”
- “The story has a lot of holes in it and is not well thought out.”
- “I wanted to love this game, but the plot is a mess and felt forced and confusing in a lot of places.”
gameplay
258 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
74%
14%
The gameplay of "Bye Sweet Carole" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its repetitive and clunky mechanics, frequent bugs, and a lack of challenge in puzzles. While some appreciate the artistic visuals and narrative elements, others find the gameplay tedious and frustrating, often feeling like a chore rather than an engaging experience. Overall, the game is seen as more of a visual and narrative achievement than a strong gameplay experience, with many players suggesting it requires further polish and refinement.
- “The gameplay consists of very light platforming and puzzle-solving elements.”
- “The slower gameplay allows for time to admire the details and the effort that went into the art of this game, with cutscenes that feel like movie scenes.”
- “The gameplay offers basic platforming mixed with puzzle-solving, shape- and character-swapping, and some fairly functional (if simple) stealth mechanics.”
- “Add the slightly annoying gameplay bugs that pop up occasionally, and what could have been a touching, beautiful platformer turns into a test of your patience.”
- “The mechanics were boring and repetitive, and at places it felt like certain sections of the game were just padding for game time since they didn't add anything.”
- “The gameplay is extremely tedious - it feels like it was drawn out as much as possible to artificially inflate the playtime.”
graphics
203 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
48%
1%
The graphics of "Bye Sweet Carole" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning hand-drawn art style, reminiscent of classic Disney animations, which many players found enchanting and nostalgic. The visuals are often described as beautiful and atmospheric, effectively complementing the game's dark fairytale narrative. However, some players noted that while the graphics are impressive, technical issues and gameplay mechanics detract from the overall experience.
- “The hand-drawn art style is breathtaking—every frame feels like stepping into a lost Disney classic, and the atmosphere oscillates beautifully between whimsical and unsettling.”
- “Bye sweet carole completely swept me away with its stunning hand-drawn visuals and eerie, enchanting atmosphere.”
- “The art style is gorgeous, with every frame looking like it belongs in a gothic gallery.”
- “But gameplay in Bye Sweet Carole is so frustrating, so dull, and so slow that the graphics and art style can't make up for it.”
- “I truly feel like outside of the visuals, this game is not worth your time to play.”
- “Bye Sweet Carole presents itself as a dark fable with classic animation aesthetics, but its content and execution fall far short of expectations.”
music
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
37%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its beautiful, whimsical, and haunting qualities, often compared to classic Disney soundtracks. Many players noted that the soundtrack enhances the game's atmosphere and emotional depth, although some experienced issues with audio mixing and occasional glitches. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, complementing the stunning art style and storytelling effectively.
- “Beautiful story, wonderful music, truly a masterpiece.”
- “The music is haunting and emotional, and it perfectly matches the story’s eerie fairytale vibe.”
- “The love and care that went into the hand-drawn art and animations is palpable; the music was absolutely stunning and whimsical and scary and emotional -- it complimented the game beautifully at every turn.”
- “There aren't many bugs and the subsequent patches have removed many of the original bugs from the launch version, but things like music getting cut off or having to watch a cutscene of a door opening and closing every time you walk over a pressure plate can really draw you out of the experience.”
- “The audio mixing was a bit all over the place: sometimes characters were clear, sometimes they sounded underwater, and sometimes they were drowned out by the music volume.”
- “Despite the terrific art style, palette, and music, the underlying game is painfully bad and repetitive.”
emotional
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely praised for its deeply emotional narrative, which explores themes of grief, self-discovery, and personal growth, often evoking strong feelings in players. Its captivating art direction and haunting music enhance the emotional experience, making moments of joy and sorrow resonate powerfully. While some players noted technical issues and pacing concerns, the overall sentiment highlights the game's ability to deliver a touching and memorable story that leaves a lasting impact.
- “The narrative, rooted in early 20th-century themes and laced with dark fairytale elements, is genuinely compelling and gives the game emotional weight.”
- “The last act of the game is extremely well done tonally and emotionally, and left me completely blown away.”
- “The music is haunting and emotional, and it perfectly matches the story’s eerie fairytale vibe.”
stability
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and soft locks that hinder gameplay. While some users noted minor issues that were manageable, many experienced significant frustrations, including game-breaking errors and unresponsive controls. Despite patches aimed at improving stability, the consensus is that the game remains quite buggy, detracting from the overall experience.
- “This game is incredibly buggy.”
- “I've clipped through floors, walls, found myself trapped in inescapable spaces because of glitches, and at one point I clipped through the background and couldn't get back out!”
- “The other glaring issue with Bye Sweet Carole is that it's quite buggy (like, an unacceptable number of bugs - check the discussion boards to see for yourself). I had to relaunch the game a couple of times due to softlocks, my character falling through the floor, and inexplicable glitches that made it so I couldn't even access the main menu to reload my save.”
atmosphere
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
42%
8%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its breathtaking hand-drawn art style, reminiscent of classic Disney animations, and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that enhances the emotional depth of the story. Reviewers note that the environments feel alive and captivating, oscillating between whimsical and unsettling tones, though some mention that gameplay issues can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's stunning visuals and immersive atmosphere make it a standout title, despite some concerns about gameplay mechanics.
- “The hand-drawn art style is breathtaking—every frame feels like stepping into a lost Disney classic, and the atmosphere oscillates beautifully between whimsical and unsettling.”
- “The game’s atmosphere is captivating from the very first scene: every environment feels alive, the color palette is rich and the visual direction perfectly supports the emotional tone of the story, reminding me of old Disney cartoons.”
- “Bye Sweet Carole completely swept me away with its stunning hand-drawn visuals and eerie, enchanting atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere of this title isn't eerie enough for me to be a horror game or even a thriller/psychological horror.”
- “By the beginning of chapter 4, I was already exhausted of the new enemy introduced and how I had no time to actually explore and take in the environment/atmosphere.”
- “I also found the objective and interaction popups to be annoying, and felt like they detracted from the spooky atmosphere the developers were going for.”
grinding
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews consistently highlight that the game's grinding aspects are characterized by tedious gameplay, repetitive puzzles, and frustrating controls, which detract from the overall experience. Players express dissatisfaction with the need to backtrack frequently and the slow pacing, often feeling that the game artificially extends playtime through these tedious mechanics. While the story and visuals are praised, the gameplay is criticized for being monotonous and frustrating, leading to a lack of enjoyment.
- “The gameplay is extremely tedious - it feels like it was drawn out as much as possible to artificially inflate the playtime.”
- “More than anything else, it's tedious and time-consuming to repeatedly traverse the same area to activate switches and the like.”
- “This game shines through its story, music, art direction, and animations; however, gameplay feels extremely dated, slow, and tedious.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
45%
33%
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it features smooth animations and natural performance, players have reported noticeable stuttering, freezing animations, and various glitches that detract from the experience. Despite its appealing art style and sound design, the game suffers from coding issues and lacks thorough testing, leading to a performance that feels reminiscent of older flash games. Improvements are needed to align the game's execution with its initial promises.
- “The game runs smoothly, the animation is very fluid, and I had no issues there.”
- “Performances are natural and grounded, the sound design sells the mood, and the score fits the tone; eerie when it should be, gentle when it needs to be.”
- “But some optimization still needs to be improved.”
- “I can understand visual bugs or some performance issues, but a game with such simple walking and puzzle mechanics should have been tested more thoroughly before release.”
- “There are also certain animations that straight up freeze the game for a few frames, such as transforming into your bunny form, and this happens consistently, so it feels more like a coding issue rather than a performance one.”
character development
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the depth and emotional impact of certain characters, particularly Lana, others criticize the rushed and inconsistent development that primarily occurs towards the end. Additionally, some reviewers note that plot twists feel forced rather than a natural progression of character growth, and there are concerns about similarities to other works in both story and design. Overall, the character designs and emotional storytelling resonate well with many players, despite some narrative shortcomings.
- “I enjoyed the plot and Lana's character development.”
- “I loved this game so much; other than a few bugs that can be fixed, it's just so good. I've seen a bunch of bad reviews so far, but after playing 18 hours, I can say that it's worth it. If you can overlook the bugs and mess around with the controls, you will end up falling in love with the game. I ended up sobbing over the storyline; there's so much character development and plot twists.”
- “What I liked about Bye Sweet Carole: style, music, voice acting, story, and character design.”
- “Most of the character development is at the end, and it is rather rushed and not in line with the characters you meet throughout the game.”
- “Incoherent plot twists, inserted 'by the power of the script' rather than naturally from character development.”
- “Certain sequences closely resemble other works (for example, the flower field evokes Alice in Wonderland), and some character designs strongly recall other games, such as Cuphead.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of intentional and accidental comedic moments, such as amusing character voices and hilarious glitches. Players appreciate the consistent updates and engaging voice acting, while certain elements, like the rabbit sliding down a wall and accidental deaths, provide ongoing laughs. However, some find the juxtaposition of serious lines delivered by funny-sounding characters undermines the game's seriousness.
- “The rabbit sliding down a wall never gets old, and the accidentally fall deaths are hilarious.”
- “The game is quite glitchy and buggy here and there, but it was more funny than annoying.”
- “The script and delivery can be pretty funny on accident at times.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's replayability is considered low, as players feel that the story remains static and lacks significant variation in outcomes. Many users express that the experience can become repetitive, with some mechanics feeling tedious rather than enjoyable, leading to a preference for watching a playthrough instead of replaying the game.
- “As the replay value is not very high, I will likely just watch a playthrough and be done with it.”
- “As nice as the story is, it doesn't offer a whole lot of replayability, especially not if you randomly get blocked from progressing with no other way out.”
- “The story doesn’t change, so the either/or achievements (succeed in every dance check vs. fail them all) feel more like repetition than replay value. If you find the mechanics grating, it feels more like a chore than a reward.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The monetization strategy is straightforward, with no microtransactions aside from a $5 upgrade for the deluxe edition. However, some users express frustration over perceived misleading advertising, likening it to clickbait tactics aimed at boosting sales.
- “The game offers a fair pricing model with no aggressive monetization tactics.”
- “I appreciate that there are no pay-to-win elements, making the experience enjoyable for everyone.”
- “The trailer and advertising misdirection particularly irritates me because it almost feels like a cheap clickbait attempt from the developers to try to sell their game during October.”
- “No microtransactions beyond the extra $5 for the deluxe edition.”