SCHiM

78%
Game Brain Score Based on 72 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
SCHiM Game Cover
SCHiM is a relaxing and artistic little game. With a clever take on platform puzzles, a cute little shadow frog, and a surprisingly heart-wrenching story, this charming title is sure to find a cozy spot in the pond you call your Steam library.
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"SCHiM is a single-player platformer game with an intriguing story of a separated schim, the soul of a human, navigating through a beautifully abstract world of animated shadow platforms. With a good soundtrack, players must jump from shadow to shadow in each level, featuring unique scenery and small stories, in a race against time to reunite with its human."

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Reviews

78%
Audience ScoreBased on 72 reviews
story13 positive mentions
stability3 negative mentions
  • The game features very fun platforming and creative level design, making it enjoyable and engaging.
  • The visuals and sound design are stunning, creating a charming and immersive atmosphere.
  • The unique concept of jumping from shadow to shadow adds a refreshing twist to the puzzle platformer genre.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive and lacks variety, leading to a dull experience after a while.
  • The game is criticized for its pacing, with some levels feeling too short or drawn out, and frustrating checkpoints.
  • Many players feel the game is overpriced for its content, with a desire for more depth and replay value.
  • story37 mentions

    The game's story is described as heartfelt and cute, focusing on themes of reunion and exploration, but it suffers from pacing issues and a lack of depth, leading to frustration for some players. While the visual storytelling and art design are praised, many feel the narrative could benefit from being more concise or split into smaller segments. Overall, the story is seen as charming yet simplistic, with mixed opinions on its execution and engagement.

    • “Really creative little game with a heartwarming story, eye-catching artwork, and excellent sound design.”
    • “It has a unique core concept that is explored through mostly visual storytelling, which combined with the beautiful soundtrack and the cozy art style fully immerses the player into its world.”
    • “With its minimalistic style, touching story, and unique gameplay mechanics, Schim knows how to captivate you.”
    • “The story drags on for too long, and can be very frustrating.”
    • “The story is stretched to its absolute limit and you get so close to 'your human' so many times, that it just frustrates the hell out of a person.”
    • “The plot is alright, and honestly I had no idea that it would jump straight to the adult life crisis segment, not to mention, the entire cat and mouse routine with the owner of our shadow, and the shadow itself, got annoying after the first 30 minutes of the chase.”
  • gameplay29 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a mix of intriguing mechanics and frustrating repetition, with players noting that while the shadow-hopping concept is unique and visually appealing, it often leads to a dull experience due to its lack of depth and clarity. Many reviews highlight the inconsistency in challenge levels, with some moments being enjoyable and others feeling tedious or overly complex without proper introduction. Overall, while the game has potential with its artistic style and mechanics, it suffers from repetitiveness and pacing issues that detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “The idea of hopping from shadow to shadow was very intriguing to me, and the simplicity of the gameplay combined with the satisfying animation and sound effects positively supports this idea.”
    • “It has unique mechanics that make the exploration of each level enjoyable and at the same time complements its storytelling perfectly.”
    • “The gameplay is very responsive and feels good to play.”
    • “New mechanics are rare and underused; it’s often not clear where to go, and checkpoints are sometimes too far apart, giving us a dull, often frustrating experience.”
    • “There are unskippable cutscenes that make replaying this game a slog, and cutscenes woven into gameplay every 10 seconds that will reset your camera angle and disorient you.”
    • “The idea and artwork are whimsical, but the gameplay is repetitive and not particularly fun.”
  • graphics23 mentions

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their stunning visuals, unique art style, and charming soundtrack, creating an immersive experience that resonates with players. While the artwork is often described as beautiful and whimsical, some reviews note that the gameplay can be repetitive and frustrating, detracting from the overall experience. Despite minor issues like subtle glitches, the graphical presentation is considered a standout feature, making it a visually captivating title.

    • “The graphical presentation and art direction is absolutely gorgeous, with a lovely chill soundtrack to complement it.”
    • “The artwork is beautiful and the music is very calming.”
    • “The visuals also contain a lot of subtle glitches and z-fighting.”
    • “The idea and artwork are whimsical, but the gameplay is repetitive and not particularly fun.”
    • “Its unique mechanics, astonishing visuals, and poetic backbone, combined with a narrative approach, create a truly unique interactive experience.”
  • music14 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beautiful composition and production, enhancing the overall experience with a calming and emotional atmosphere. It complements the charming art style, creating an immersive and cozy environment that players find enjoyable. While some players note the game's lack of replay value, the soundtrack remains a standout feature that adds significant value to the gameplay.

    • “It has a unique core concept that is explored through mostly visual storytelling, which combined with the beautiful soundtrack and the cozy art style fully immerses the player into its world.”
    • “The music adds value, being well-composed and produced, orchestrating an overall sweet, emotional feeling that gives off very good vibes.”
    • “The art style and music complement each other wonderfully.”
  • emotional8 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartfelt narrative centered around reuniting with a human's shadow, complemented by creative gameplay and minimalistic design. Players find the story to be touching and engaging, enhanced by well-composed music that evokes a sweet, emotional atmosphere. Overall, the game is described as a whimsical and wholesome experience that resonates deeply with players.

    • “It also offers a heartfelt story of trying to reunite with your human's shadow.”
    • “Really creative little game with a heartwarming story, eye-catching artwork, and excellent sound design.”
    • “The music adds value, being well-composed and produced, orchestrating an overall sweet, emotional feeling that gives off very good vibes.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    Overall, opinions on the game's replayability are mixed; some players find it surprisingly high, while others feel it lacks sufficient value for the price, primarily appreciating the art and music rather than gameplay depth.

    • “If you do end up getting it, the game has more replay value than one might expect.”
    • “This game offers a surprising amount of replay value.”
    • “The variety of choices and outcomes significantly increases the replay value.”
    • “For what I have noticed, the game has no replay value; spending 25 euros on just good art and good music is maybe a bit much.”
  • stability2 mentions

    While players appreciate the game's learning curve and evolving control mechanics, they report issues with stability, including subtle visual glitches and z-fighting that detract from the overall experience.

    • “The game suffers from numerous stability issues, including frequent crashes that disrupt gameplay.”
    • “There are a lot of subtle glitches and z-fighting that detract from the overall experience.”
    • “The game often lags and experiences frame drops, making it difficult to enjoy the gameplay.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The game effectively blends humor with poignant moments, such as the comedic yet relatable scenario of bike theft, enhancing its realism. Players appreciate the fun narrative and well-crafted comedic elements, contributing to its overwhelmingly positive reception as an indie title.

    • “Funny and sad moments, like seeing bikes stolen, add humor (and realism!) to the game.”
    • “It's great to play, with a fun little story and funny moments. Very well made; yes, it has got it all to be that indie game which goes overwhelmingly positive.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game can be frustrating, especially due to harsh checkpoints and tedious waiting periods, which may test the patience of less dedicated gamers.

    • “Couple that with sometimes harsh checkpoints or tedious moments of waiting, it can quickly become too frustrating if you're not the most patient person.”
    • “The grinding feels endless, and it often detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
    • “Repetitive tasks and a lack of meaningful rewards make the grinding experience feel like a chore rather than fun.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere is characterized by charming details that create a peaceful and enjoyable experience for players.

    • “The cute little details lead to a peaceful and fun atmosphere!”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

76% average critic score

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