Shadow Puppeteer

67%
Game Brain Score Based on 65 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • music
Shadow Puppeteer Game Cover
The puzzles are fun, it could benefit from some polish in terms of presentation, but you'll enjoy Shadow Puppeteer more with a second player by your side.
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In Shadow Puppeteer, players explore a beautiful world of darkness and light, controlling key characters in a local co-op or single player adventure. By manipulating light to solve puzzles, they seek to free trapped shadows and defeat the menacing puppeteer. Offering easy-to-learn controls, the game provides entertaining challenges embedded in a rich atmosphere.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Wii
  • Wii U
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

67%
Audience ScoreBased on 65 reviews
gameplay8 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • Shadow Puppeteer offers a unique and enjoyable co-op experience, requiring teamwork to solve puzzles and navigate levels, which enhances the fun and engagement.
  • The game features beautiful art style and atmospheric music, creating an immersive experience that players appreciate.
  • The puzzles are challenging yet rewarding, providing a sense of accomplishment when solved, especially in a cooperative setting.
  • The game suffers from some technical issues, including camera problems and occasional glitches that can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustration.
  • While the single-player mode exists, it is often criticized for being cumbersome and less enjoyable compared to the co-op experience.
  • The game is relatively short, with playtime averaging around 4 hours, which some players feel does not justify the price.
  • gameplay23 mentions

    The gameplay features innovative mechanics and creative puzzles, but players often struggle with teamwork elements and the "rope-shadow" button configuration, which some find frustrating. While the controls are generally good and the game offers a challenging experience with a solid ramp-up phase, the focus on shadow mechanics can detract from cooperative play. Overall, the game is praised for its unique design and engaging music, alongside ongoing developer support for bug fixes and gameplay improvements.

    • “The controls are quite good, the gameplay is quite challenging with a great ramp-up phase.”
    • “I really like the core mechanic, and it's done very well (though maybe not flawlessly).”
    • “Innovative gameplay mechanics, unique and creative puzzles.”
    • “They navigate through the game, struggling with the teamwork mechanics.”
    • “Small errors in the mechanics caused large problems.”
    • “"Rope-shadow" mechanic button configuration is mind-numbingly stupid.”
  • graphics18 mentions

    The graphics are generally praised for their beautiful art style and excellent visuals, often compared to Tim Burton's aesthetic. Players appreciate the well-executed artwork and music, although some find the repetitive gameplay and challenging levels frustrating. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's appeal, enhancing the local co-op experience and storytelling.

    • “Excellent art style.”
    • “Beautiful style/graphics, good music, love the riddle solving.”
    • “Nice idea, even graphics, but frustrating to repeat the same tedious movements of boxes and items, with plenty of occasions to fail and start over.”
    • “Artwork and music really well done.”
    • “I adore the art style, and I think the cutscenes are fantastic.”
  • music16 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience without being overly distracting. Reviewers highlight its uniqueness and ability to complement the game's art style and storytelling, although some note that certain aspects of the soundtrack may be divisive. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's spooky and immersive vibe.

    • “A fun local co-op with interesting story, art style, and music.”
    • “Pros: music is amazing, different enough to be new and unique, but not too crazy that it distracts from the gameplay.”
    • “The music is also really good, and creates a very nice atmosphere.”
    • “There are some rough edges, however, in terms of some scratchy framerate and animation issues, a soundtrack that may be divisive at points and occasional slip-ups in design and implementation.”
  • story10 mentions

    The game's story, centered around a boy and his shadow, is described as cute and immersive, enhancing the overall experience with its engaging art style and music. While some find the narrative passable and forgettable, it effectively sets the stage for enjoyable local co-op gameplay and interesting puzzles. Overall, the storytelling is considered nicely executed, contributing positively to the game's charm.

    • “A fun local co-op with an interesting story, art style, and music.”
    • “A story about a boy and his shadow; this game makes its players totally immersed in everything that's going on.”
    • “[cool puzzles, neat in co-op, nicely told story]”
    • “The story is passable and forgettable, but it provides a plausible setting to the challenge.”
    • “A story about a boy and his shadow, this game makes its players totally immersed in everything that's going on.”
  • humor9 mentions

    The humor in the game is consistently praised, with players enjoying the comedic elements during challenging boss battles and appreciating the cleverness required for puzzles. The lighthearted antics and coordination among players contribute to a fun and engaging experience.

    • “They navigate the boss battle with hilarious coordination, laughing all the way.”
    • “It's a funny game and you really need to be smart with puzzling.”
    • “Your shadow's antics add to the humor we achieve.”
  • emotional8 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional investment in the game, particularly highlighting their connection to inanimate objects, such as a shadow. The final levels are praised for providing a satisfying culmination of the game's lessons, evoking a wholesome and fulfilling experience.

    • “I realize I'm emotionally invested in a shadow.”
    • “10/10 would emotionally bond with inanimate objects again.”
    • “The last levels are very good to work as the 'final exam' after being taught everything, which gives a great wholesome feeling.”
  • atmosphere8 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised, with users highlighting the impressive lighting, art design, and a captivating soundtrack that collectively enhance the overall experience. The combination of these elements creates an immersive and enjoyable ambiance.

    • “Great atmosphere, given by lighting and art!”
    • “The music is also really good, and creates a very nice atmosphere.”
    • “Soundtrack is super atmospheric.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to the repetitive nature of moving boxes and items, which often leads to failure and the need to restart. While the graphics and ideas are appreciated, the tediousness of these tasks can detract from the enjoyment of completing more precise puzzles.

    • “Nice idea, even graphics, but frustrating to repeat the same tedious movements of boxes and items, with plenty of occasions to fail and start over.”
    • “This makes some of the more precise puzzles a bit challenging to complete and can cause them to feel tedious at times.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, particularly with buggy collision detection that often results in characters being teleported unexpectedly. Additionally, there are startup problems involving Xbox 360 controllers losing sync, which can lead to freezes.

    • “Collisions are still buggy, with characters frequently being teleported on top of or behind objects.”
    • “The game has issues on startup, with two Xbox 360 controllers losing sync and causing freezes.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

63% average critic score

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Play time

4hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
4-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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