Missing Children | 行方不明 | Game Brain

About

Missing Children | 行方不明 is a single player casual simulation game with horror and anime themes. It was developed by chill_my_art and was released on June 12, 2020. It received positive reviews from players.

Missing Children | 行方不明 is a Japanese horror-themed adventure game following a bully detective investigating reports of missing children. With atmospheric, realistic graphics and a narrative inspired by J-Horror, players navigate disturbing themes including abuse and suicide. The short experience offers two distinct endings based on player choices.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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85%

Audience ScoreBased on 576 reviews

story116 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game has a compelling story that deals with serious themes like bullying and family dysfunction, making it emotionally engaging.
The atmosphere is well-crafted, providing a creepy and unsettling experience that keeps players on edge.
The addition of an inventory system and the ability to fast travel between locations enhances the gameplay experience.

Many players experienced bugs that affected gameplay, including freezing during loading screens and issues with inventory management.
The game is relatively short, which left some players wanting more content and depth in the story.
It lacks significant horror elements, with only a few jump scares and a general feeling that it is more of a walking simulator than a traditional horror game.

story
252 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
48%
6%
The story of "Missing Children" is a compelling yet brief narrative centered around a social worker investigating the disappearance of children, exploring themes of neglect and bullying. While many players appreciated the atmospheric storytelling and emotional depth, some criticized its straightforwardness and lack of detail, leading to mixed feelings about the overall coherence and impact of the plot. Despite its shortcomings, the game is noted for its engaging narrative and unique approach to horror, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of story-driven games.
- “The story was the best about this game; it was very interesting and kept me engaged even with the bugs.”
- “"Missing Children" is a short but compelling game with a strong story and great atmosphere.”
- “The story raises awareness to an issue that shouldn't be neglected, so I'm grateful for it.”
- “It would be okay if the story weren't so straightforward and undetailed.”
- “The characters are so strange and 'accommodating' that I constantly thought it was all just a manifestation of our guilt, but somehow the story ends without really clarifying anything or ever becoming a horror game.”
- “Story was kind of pointless, the ending wasn't super satisfying; there's some good atmosphere but overall I was pretty disappointed with the game.”
atmosphere
128 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
37%
2%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie and unsettling qualities, effectively creating a spooky environment that enhances the overall experience. While some players noted that the horror elements are light and not particularly scary, the immersive visuals and sound design contribute significantly to the game's tension and mood. However, there are criticisms regarding the game's design and dialogue, which occasionally detract from the otherwise compelling atmosphere.
- “The atmosphere of the game was absolutely amazing.”
- “This game has such a dense, eerie atmosphere.”
- “I can sing the usual praises; fantastically unsettling atmosphere, excellent sound design and music, gorgeous aesthetic, etc.”
- “Unfortunately, the quality of the game's design mostly doesn't live up to its atmosphere.”
- “A game full of atmosphere that really draws you in, but unfortunately the dialogue is a bit jarring and didn't make sense in some parts, which pulled you out of the atmosphere that had been so nicely set up.”
- “There's nothing particularly scary about it, but the dark atmosphere gives it a spooky feel.”
gameplay
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
83%
5%
The gameplay is characterized as a familiar walking simulator with a "treasure hunt" feel, involving backtracking and item collection to progress the story. While it offers a moody atmosphere and engaging narrative, some players find the pacing slow and the puzzles occasionally frustrating. Overall, it emphasizes exploration and interaction over complex mechanics, appealing to fans of Chilla's Art's previous titles.
- “The gameplay is more of a 'treasure hunt' going back and forth and finding items to continue the story, and it was fun!”
- “The gameplay itself is straightforward and was easy enough to figure out what to do next.”
- “The group of puzzles mixed with partially open world type of gameplay grants a very interesting and engaging experience, even if fairly linear.”
- “Gameplay is a familiar walking sim from the developer: very slow walking pace to stretch out play time (with faster transition speed this game could be passed for half an hour or less), talking to characters, finding objects to use - go there, find that, go back here, use this on that, repeat a few times.”
- “Secondly, the gameplay really wasn't as riveting or thrilling as some of the other Chilla's Art games.”
- “That's fine in my opinion, I don't mind this style of gameplay but some of the puzzles which had you looking for certain things like keys were really headache-inducing and then when you think you've looked around everywhere, you go back to the other locations to look and spend another 15 minutes wasting your time.”
graphics
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
42%
5%
The graphics in "Missing Children" reflect the typical style of Chilla's Art, featuring low-poly models and a retro horror aesthetic that creates a moody atmosphere. While some players appreciate the unique visuals and the unsettling charm of the character designs, others note that the graphics can feel dated and basic, with occasional technical issues. Overall, the game's visuals contribute significantly to its eerie ambiance, despite a mix of opinions on their quality.
- “Visuals / graphics: 10/10”
- “Terrific atmosphere with max graphics, love everything this developer puts out.”
- “The graphics and presentation were superb with Chilla's Art's unique art style featuring low-poly models and high-quality textures.”
- “Graphics is usual for the games of Chilla's Art: the models are low-poly, the picture is blurred, darkened (of course, the action takes place at night) to hide the lack of details, I suppose.”
- “Somewhat moody, but dated and basic graphics.”
- “The game relies on its narrative and retro graphics to tell its story and engage the players, relying on no mechanics beyond interacting with the environment.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotional depth, tackling real-life issues such as bullying, neglect, and domestic abuse within a supernatural context. Players find the narrative heartwarming, particularly the good ending, which emphasizes the importance of caring for loved ones and providing emotional support. Overall, the emotional layer enhances the mystery and resonates with players on a personal level.
- “I thought the good ending was heartwarming as well.”
- “This isn't your typical in-your-face scary horror game with jumpscares and monsters, but a touching story dealing with real life issues (with a right touch of supernatural) involving children - bullying, neglect, and domestic abuse.”
- “It adds an emotional layer to the mystery.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
While the game is visually impressive, players have reported performance issues, particularly persistent stuttering when loading new areas. Overall, the optimization seems to be inconsistent, with some users rating performance highly despite these drawbacks.
- “Performance: 10/10”
- “Visually, it's by far the most impressive Chilla's game I've played, but unlike the other ones, I actually had some performance issues during a couple of my sessions with this one.”
- “With a persistent stutter whenever you load into a new area for the first time, I place it somewhere between Okaeri and Night Delivery on the performance scale.”
- “After all, performance should be your top priority when buying from these devs, because let's be real, it's all the same game.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The music in the game is characterized by a subtle soundtrack that enhances the unsettling atmosphere, complemented by excellent sound design. Reviewers praise the combination of dark environments and off-beat humor, which contributes to a genuinely creepy experience. Overall, the sound elements are highlighted as a significant strength, adding depth to the game's aesthetic.
- “Great atmosphere and music.”
- “I can sing the usual praises; fantastically unsettling atmosphere, excellent sound design and music, gorgeous aesthetic, etc. bizarre NPCs with their realistic image-mapped faces and wholly unrealistic gumby limbs, complete with totally off-kilter personalities that serve to either scare you or make you laugh.”
- “No music, a mix of graphic quality, no real quality of life or playability.”
- “A mix of slow-paced exploration, dark, dirty environments, subtle soundtrack, and unsettling sound design complete with traces of an off-beat sense of humour adds up to a genuinely creepy adventure.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for its significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent bugs and freezing, particularly when adjusting controls. Despite a strong appreciation for the developer's previous work, these technical problems have led to a lack of recommendations from fans.
- “I would like to say I'm a huge fan of Chilla's Arts work, but I can't recommend this game because of how buggy it is.”
- “It doesn't work properly; I tried adjusting the controls and the game just freezes. Please fix this game, I love all of them and want to play it so badly.”
- “The bad: I have glitches with using WASD.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find that while most achievements are easily attainable, the travel-related achievement can become tedious and may require excessive grinding.
- “The achievements are easy to get, though the one for traveling can feel a bit tedious.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers strong replayability due to its multiple endings that are influenced by player choices, keeping players engaged and encouraging them to explore different outcomes.
- “With different endings, depending on your choices, it manages to be replayable and keep you invested.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of humorous, creepy, and bizarre moments that resonate well with players, creating a unique and engaging experience.
- “There are moments that are humorous, creepy, bizarre, and all in the best ways.”