CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs

About

CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs is a single player casual simulation game with horror and mystery themes. It was developed by Bastinus Rex and was released on October 6, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

You are the Carimara, and your mission is to conjure a ghost by answering their questions using your cards. A short and creepy fairytale, full of surprises and mysteries.

CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs screenshot

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97%Audience ScoreBased on 1,220 reviews

story171 positive mentions

grinding1 negative mentions

Unique and captivating art style with an eerie, cozy, and atmospheric visual design that sets the tone perfectly.
Engaging narrative and well-written characters that unfold a touching, bittersweet mystery with satisfying puzzle-solving elements.
Innovative card-based communication mechanic allowing unique interaction with the environment and characters, rewarding exploration and deduction.

The game is very short, often completed in under an hour, leaving many players wanting more content and deeper story development.
Some puzzles and mystery elements can feel obscure or under-hinted, leading to potential frustration and reliance on guides for completion.
Limited gameplay depth and mechanics, with some players noting the card system feels underutilized and the overall experience may resemble more of a demo or a vertical slice.

story
352 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
50%
1%
The story is a beautifully crafted, short, and atmospheric mystery that blends cozy, eerie folk-horror elements with emotional, heartfelt themes of grief, love, and curiosity. While some find it simple and bittersweet, others praise its layered narrative enriched by secrets and subtle storytelling, creating a compelling experience that encourages exploration and multiple playthroughs. Despite its brevity, the story resonates deeply, supported by unique art, strong character work, and an evocative ambiance, leaving many players wanting more.
- “The dev clearly put a lot of thought and love into making this, with a deep understanding of folklore and storytelling; this was really one of the best experiences I've had in gaming for a while!”
- “For players who value atmosphere, emotional storytelling, and the poetry of mystery, Carimara stands as one of the most evocative indie experiences in recent memory—a ghost story not about fear, but about the tender ache of being seen by the unknown.”
- “The mystery of the story had me gripped the whole way through and gave an ending that will stick with me.”
- “One thing they should definitely improve upon in future is the story aspect of the game, because currently it's very generic and rather boring, which is a shame as this setting is perfect for more complex storytelling.”
- “The story itself was also nothing special, and I did not feel engaged at all.”
- “Amazing art style and amazing game idea but such terrible story.”
graphics
318 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
39%
1%
The game's graphics receive widespread praise for their unique, striking, and haunting art style that blends dark folklore aesthetics with retro, PS1-era low-poly visuals, creating an immersive and spooky atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the rich detail, charming character designs, and effective use of color and sound that together enhance the mood and storytelling. While some find the visuals initially challenging to adjust to, the overall consensus is that the distinctive art style is a major strength and key appeal of the game.
- “Gorgeous lo-fi polygonal visuals make this a really striking world to explore, and even though the area around the old woman’s hut you’re tasked with poking around is limited, it’s still packed with secrets that’ll guide you to the solution.”
- “The art style is haunting and beautiful and the effects are so tactile and good to interact with!”
- “The limited color palette and nostalgic graphics create an eerie vibe meant to build suspense and mild unease—it reminds me of the same energy and vibe as the animated series, Over the Garden Wall, if you're familiar!”
- “Don't waste your money, it's a bad try and error game, the aesthetic of the game seems cool and I do like the card concept but everything else is really bad, I'm not even sure if I would recommend it if it was free, probably not.”
- “The game's visuals actually hurt my ability to understand where objects previously sat or if they were important at all.”
- “Most of its "clever" secrets are just based on its bulky visuals and clunky controls.”
atmosphere
169 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
23%
2%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique blend of cozy warmth and creepy, haunting beauty, enhanced by striking art direction, evocative music, and immersive sound design. Reviewers highlight its emotional depth, folklore-inspired style, and strong sense of mystery, creating a richly atmospheric experience despite the game's short length. Overall, it stands out as an evocative, memorable indie title where atmosphere and storytelling take center stage.
- “The atmosphere is hauntingly beautiful, the world feels deeply emotional, and every moment feels crafted with genuine care and artistry.”
- “Carimara: beneath the forlorn limbs is a haunting and deeply atmospheric journey into the quiet spaces between horror and melancholy.”
- “For players who value atmosphere, emotional storytelling, and the poetry of mystery, Carimara stands as one of the most evocative indie experiences in recent memory — a ghost story not about fear, but about the tender ache of being seen by the unknown.”
- “There is some atmosphere, but I didn't feel fulfilled with its story and music.”
- “The atmosphere of unease never left me.”
- “- Creepy atmosphere with a peculiar, eerie vibe.”
gameplay
143 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
51%
2%
The gameplay centers on a unique, card-based communication mechanic paired with exploration and detective-style puzzle solving, creating a concise yet engaging experience. While generally praised for its originality, atmosphere, and integration with the story, many note that the gameplay is simple, brief, and somewhat limited, lacking depth or complexity. Overall, it offers a charming, memorable puzzle narrative best suited for a short session rather than extended play.
- “Very satisfying detective work with mechanics that are really crisp.”
- “Good little investigative puzzle, interesting mechanic of searching the environment for cards to then question the NPCs about them.”
- “The card/conversation mechanic worked really well!”
- “There's absolutely no point to the card mechanic at all, and it could have easily have been replaced with any old list of words.”
- “There's hardly any gameplay either; it wasn't much of a mystery ... the game basically spells it out for you ...”
- “Too short and has no puzzles or actual gameplay.”
emotional
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users consistently praise the game for its deeply emotional and touching narrative, highlighting a surprisingly wholesome and heartfelt ending despite its eerie, haunting atmosphere. The experience is described as a short but powerful emotional rollercoaster, combining a unique, creepy aesthetic with genuine warmth, grief, and love, making it a memorable and moving indie title.
- “The atmosphere is hauntingly beautiful, the world feels deeply emotional, and every moment feels crafted with genuine care and artistry.”
- “It draws on the language of folklore and the emotional restraint of arthouse cinema to create something fragile, unsettling, and deeply humane.”
- “For players who value atmosphere, emotional storytelling, and the poetry of mystery, Carimara stands as one of the most evocative indie experiences in recent memory—a ghost story not about fear, but about the tender ache of being seen by the unknown.”
music
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
45%
7%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric, immersive, and fitting style, enhancing the overall vibe and emotional tone. Many users appreciate its charming, whimsical, and sometimes haunting qualities, though some wish the soundtrack—and game length—were longer to fully savor. Overall, the soundtrack complements the art and story beautifully, making the short experience feel rich and memorable.
- “If you're into short yet sweet indie games with a mystery and secrets to unravel, this is a great game that clearly had heart and soul poured into it, from the general style to the whimsical but mysterious music. This is an amazing and super cool game despite its short length!”
- “Artstyle, music, creepy atmosphere, and most importantly, those absolutely mesmerizing facial expressions... just wow. Until now I never truly realized how impactful well-made body language of a character can be, I'm blown away, this is a masterpiece!”
- “The music and soundscape are perfect and immersive.”
- “The music also played a huge part in setting the foreboding and tragic tone -- cheap MIDI electronics of ominous drones or whimsy melodies reminiscent of older fantasy games.”
- “There is some atmosphere, but didn't get fulfilled with its story & music.”
- “The soundtrack is also sparse, but integral to the whole thing's vibe, almost to a strange degree.”
character development
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
32%
The game features exceptional character development highlighted by unique, memorable designs and rich lore that deeply enhance the narrative and atmosphere. The art style, combined with expressive personalities and intriguing storytelling, creates a captivating and immersive experience that fans hope will continue in future installments.
- “Carimara exemplifies the kind of thoughtful development that results in a captivating narrative, blending a thrilling visual, engaging dialogue, and a rich tapestry of character designs and personalities as few as they may be.”
- “The character designs are amazing and so is the story behind everything. I really hope the developer gets to show us more of this world and the people living in it.”
- “The magical tone, the facial expressions, the character designs, and the story are things that make the environment very unique. Hopefully in the future the developer will create more stories; I look forward to it.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor perfectly complements its creepy, whimsical tone, blending dark fairytale elements with poetic and melancholic touches. Characters like the owl provide standout comedic moments, and the witty dialogue consistently elicits laughter while enhancing the emotional depth. Overall, the humor adds charm and lightness to an atmospheric and emotionally varied experience.
- “The humor matches the characters' and game's tone really well - I fell in love with Pansy and Violet and wanted to hear all their thoughts.”
- “The owl is very funny, best character.”
- “As the first game launched after finishing that journey I thought 'nothing could compare' but I was pleasantly surprised at how atmospheric, funny and emotional this story and its world storytelling is.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly with stable performance even on modest hardware. It features a clean interface, seamless transitions, and remarkable polish, especially impressive for an indie production.
- “From a technical standpoint, the game runs smoothly and presents itself with remarkable polish for an indie production.”
- “The interface is clean, the transitions seamless, and the performance stable even on modest hardware.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is relatively short and offers limited replayability, though some players find certain puzzle elements provide additional replay value.
- “The game is very short and doesn’t offer much replayability.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding is occasionally tedious but remains engaging and rewarding overall.
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates strong stability, running smoothly without issues on the Steam Deck.
- “Works and runs great on Steam Deck too.”

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1h Median play time

1h Average play time

1-2h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs is a casual simulation game with horror and mystery themes.

CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

On average players spend around 1 hours playing CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs.

CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs was released on October 6, 2025.

CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs was developed by Bastinus Rex.

CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs is a single player game.

Similar games include What Never Was, Year Walk, Beacon Pines, Last Report, The Dream Machine and others.

CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs

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story

graphics

atmosphere

gameplay

emotional

music

character development

humor

optimization

replayability

grinding

stability

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