Selma and the Wisp

Selma and the Wisp is a beautiful, nightmarish puzzle\platformer. While it’s a little on the short side it’s still a great game worth experiencing.

71%Game Brain Score

graphics, gameplay

story, replayability

71% User Score Based on 73 reviews

Critic Score 70%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About

Selma and the Wisp is a single player casual action adventure game. It was developed by Toucan Studio and was released on August 4, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Selma and the Wisp is an astonishing platform game with a particularly eerie feel to it. Densely packed with logical puzzles and unexpected obstacles, the game incorporates innovative gameplay, low-poly models and an spectacular animations.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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71%

Audience ScoreBased on 73 reviews

graphics23 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game features beautiful artwork and a unique, atmospheric aesthetic that enhances the overall experience.
The innovative gameplay mechanic of controlling a wisp that guides the main character adds a fresh twist to the platforming genre.
Despite its short length, the game offers enjoyable puzzles and a creepy vibe that keeps players engaged.

The controls can be clunky and frustrating, making precise movements difficult and leading to frequent deaths.
The game lacks a substantial narrative and depth, leaving players wanting more in terms of story and character development.
Many puzzles are overly simplistic and do not provide a satisfying challenge, resulting in a quick and somewhat shallow gameplay experience.

graphics
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
31%
8%
The graphics of the game are frequently praised for their beautiful artwork, unique low-poly style, and atmospheric design, which contribute significantly to the overall experience. However, some players feel that the fast-paced gameplay prevents them from fully appreciating the visuals. While the art style is a standout feature, opinions vary on its effectiveness in enhancing the gameplay, with some finding it more appealing than the actual mechanics of the game.
- “The graphics in Selma and the Wisp were the highlight of the game.”
- “The graphics have a nice polygonal look to them and the dark color hues create a huge impact on the atmosphere of the game.”
- “Beautiful graphics, creepy but fitting music makes this a decent indie game title I would recommend to everyone who enjoys platform games but would like to try something a bit different than the usual run-jump-collect type of game.”
- “Not only are you finished before you know it, you literally speed through the levels and can't even properly admire the artwork.”
- “This game is good to waste a few hours on but lacks decent narrative and the art style, rather than being creepy, just looks bad.”
- “The low-poly graphics were also something I'm not used to seeing.”
gameplay
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
61%
8%
The gameplay of "Selma and the Wisp" is a mixed bag, with some players praising its innovative mechanics and atmospheric design, while others criticize the controls and difficulty in navigation. The game features a unique dual-character control system and engaging puzzles, but issues like frustrating mechanics and a lack of checkpoints detract from the overall experience. Despite its shortcomings, many appreciate the game's artistic style and moody soundtrack, making it a worthwhile experience for those who enjoy casual gameplay with a creepy atmosphere.
- “Short and simple, but for three bucks it's a sweet and melancholy little game with fun mechanics, creative artwork, a moody soundtrack, and wonderfully eerie atmosphere.”
- “Nicely balanced gameplay; after just 2 levels (which is when I got a handle on the mechanics), it has become a pure joy to play.”
- “The overall game mechanics connected with the wisp are refreshing and fun to use.”
- “As a platform game, its gameplay and controls are just plain bad and the graphics are whatever.”
- “The gameplay had a really big potential (the ball and the girl connected) but it was not implemented well (you can't control your character 100% and you have a timer for the ball).”
- “Rarely, the gameplay feels dodgy every here and there because of the controls probably and the last level definitely needs more checkpoints.”
music
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
30%
11%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its beautiful and atmospheric qualities that enhance the overall experience. However, some players find the soundtrack repetitive and short, leading to frustration during gameplay. Overall, the music is described as fitting and effective in creating a moody and eerie atmosphere, complementing the game's visuals and mechanics.
- “Short and simple, but for three bucks it's a sweet and melancholy little game with fun mechanics, creative artwork, a moody soundtrack, and wonderfully eerie atmosphere.”
- “The artwork and soundtrack are amazing, really sets the tone for it.”
- “The overall soundtrack to Selma and the Wisp was very fitting to the game's eerie feel.”
- “The music is so repetitive that it will drive you insane.”
- “The music was repetitive, the tutorial was slow and irritating.”
- “The soundtrack for the game is very effective in setting the mood within some of the game's areas, but many of the tracks, however good they may be, are way too short and end up looping way too often.”
story
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
74%
13%
The story in "Selma and the Wisp" is generally perceived as sparse and difficult to follow, with many players noting a lack of emotional depth and clarity. While the overarching theme revolves around navigating nightmares, the narrative is often seen as random and underdeveloped, leaving much open to interpretation. Despite some appreciation for subtle references and the game's atmospheric elements, the storytelling is criticized for being minimal and not well-explained.
- “Overall, the story was quite unsettling and the gameplay was enjoyable!”
- “The story in Selma and the Wisp is pretty straightforward. The two of you travel through your nightmares and hope to live through the night and see the sunrise; the story isn’t actually that distinct, but I think that was the overall goal… to simply survive your nightmares and wake up in the morning.”
- “Without giving too much away, Selma and the Wisp's story leaves a lot of room for interpretation, much like its precursor Limbo does.”
- “The story that was there was difficult to follow.”
- “There is barely a story here with little to no emotional attachment to Selma.”
- “There is no verbal or written story I could find other than the intro of the game and a few sentences towards the end.”
atmosphere
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
79%
10%
11%
The atmosphere of "Selma and the Wisp" is widely praised for its eerie and melancholic qualities, enhanced by creative artwork, a moody soundtrack, and ambient sounds. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke a sense of wonder and creepiness through its graphics and audio, making it a compelling experience for those who enjoy atmospheric puzzle games. Overall, the combination of visuals, music, and gameplay mechanics contributes to a captivating and immersive atmosphere.
- “Short and simple, but for three bucks it's a sweet and melancholy little game with fun mechanics, creative artwork, a moody soundtrack, and wonderfully eerie atmosphere.”
- “The graphics have a nice polygonal look to them and the dark color hues create a huge impact on the atmosphere of the game.”
- “Selma and the wisp does oppressive atmosphere with a sense of wonder in excellent fashion.”
- “The graphics have a nice polygonal look to them, and the dark color hues create a huge impact on the atmosphere of the game.”
- “Everything to set up this game's atmosphere was very well done.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its smooth performance and lack of glitches, indicating effective optimization that enhances the overall gameplay experience.
- “Smooth performance, no glitches.”
- “The game runs flawlessly, providing an immersive experience without any lag.”
- “Optimized settings allow for a seamless gameplay experience, even on lower-end hardware.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report a stable experience with smooth performance and no glitches, indicating a high level of reliability in the game's operation.
- “Smooth performance, no glitches.”
- “The game runs flawlessly, providing a stable experience throughout.”
- “I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which makes for a very enjoyable gameplay.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is criticized for having no replay value, indicating that players do not find incentives to revisit it after completing it.
- “There is no replay value.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
- “The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying feel pointless.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as simplistic and predictable, with deaths that lack shock value, leading to a more mundane reaction. However, despite the straightforwardness, many players found the numerous deaths to be amusing, contributing to a lighthearted tone overall.
- “There were many deaths, but most of them were quite funny.”
- “The deaths were not particularly shocking—just a mundane, 'oh, I guess I died,' unlike competing games that often leave you laughing at the ridiculousness of the event.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized, with users noting a lack of story and minimal emotional connection to the character Selma.
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the grinding aspect of the game for allowing them to focus on one puzzle at a time, eliminating the need for repetitive tasks on previously completed sections.

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70%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

Selma and the Wisp is a casual action adventure game.

Selma and the Wisp is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, iPhone, Windows and others.

Selma and the Wisp was released on August 4, 2016.

Selma and the Wisp was developed by Toucan Studio.

Selma and the Wisp has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its story.

Selma and the Wisp is a single player game.

Similar games include Chronology, Planet of the Eyes, Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians, Toby: The Secret Mine, Creepy Tale and others.

Selma and the Wisp

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