Skip to main content

Shady Part of Me

Excellent gameplay, unique ideas, and a strong presentation make for an easily recommendable narrative puzzle platformer.
Shady Part of Me Game Cover
85%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, replayability
92% User Score Based on 827 reviews
Critic Score 78%Based on 12 reviews

Platforms

PCXbox Game PassCloudXbox OneXbox Cloud GamingXboxSteam DeckWindows
Buy Nowfrom $0.95
Buy NowGet on Steam $2.24Buy NowGet on Xbox Games Store
Shady Part of Me Game Cover

About

Shady Part of Me is a single player platformer game. It was developed by Douze Dixièmes and was released on December 10, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

Shady Part of Me is a narrative puzzle game. It tells the story of a little girl, frightened by the light, and her shadow. Together, they try to get out of the dreamlike world in which they are locked.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Shady Part of Me screenshot
Shady Part of Me screenshot
Shady Part of Me screenshot
Shady Part of Me screenshot
Shady Part of Me screenshot
Shady Part of Me screenshot
Shady Part of Me screenshot
Shady Part of Me screenshot
Shady Part of Me screenshot
Shady Part of Me screenshot
Shady Part of Me screenshot
+4
Skip User Reviews

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 827 reviews
story140 positive mentions
grinding8 negative mentions
  • The game features beautiful visuals and a captivating art style that enhances the overall experience.
  • The puzzles are cleverly designed, providing a good balance of challenge without being overly frustrating.
  • The soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful, perfectly complementing the game's atmosphere and emotional narrative.
  • The story is vague and can be confusing, leaving many players unsure of its deeper meanings.
  • Some voice acting, particularly that of the main character, can be grating and detracts from the overall experience.
  • The gameplay can feel repetitive at times, especially in the early stages, which may lead to a lack of engagement.
  • story
    477 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Shady Part of Me" is often described as vague and open to interpretation, focusing on themes of mental health, self-discovery, and overcoming trauma. While some players find the narrative emotionally resonant and beautifully intertwined with the gameplay, others criticize it for being confusing, lacking depth, or failing to engage them fully. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a blend of abstract elements and personal reflection, appealing to those who appreciate a more interpretive approach to narrative in games.

    • “While this game won't give you a ton of adrenaline, action, or excitement, it does offer a wonderful storyline intertwined with exceptional, unique gameplay that will leave you incredibly emotional, touching on deep spiritual themes related to self-discovery, self-knowledge, self-understanding, and self-acceptance.”
    • “The story is a beautiful journey of battling with while also working with yourself to try and be the best you.”
    • “Shady part of me is a really beautiful, artsy puzzle game, with wonderful music, and a moving storyline (especially if you've ever come across self-doubt and/or depression).”
    • “The story was a huge drag and extremely boring.”
    • “Unfortunately, where the game falls apart is its story, which is a significant issue since the game is narrative-heavy.”
    • “The story is an abstract mess that no one understands and everyone interprets as they want.”
  • gameplay
    283 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Shady Part of Me" is characterized by its unique light and shadow mechanics, allowing players to switch between a 3D girl and her 2D shadow to solve engaging puzzles. While the game features beautiful visuals and a captivating soundtrack, some players found the gameplay to be slow and repetitive, particularly in the early stages, though it does introduce new mechanics that keep the experience fresh as it progresses. Overall, it offers a blend of intuitive puzzle-solving and emotional storytelling, making it a noteworthy entry in the puzzle-platformer genre.

    • “The game offers a great gameplay mechanic with the whole changing between the shadow and the character.”
    • “Not only is its main gameplay premise—playing both as a girl (who is afraid of the light), and as her shadow, thus switching between 2D and 3D puzzles and platforming—incredibly interesting in its own right, it is the execution of that premise that really elevates this experience above many others for me.”
    • “The gameplay mechanics are enjoyable, and it presents a decent challenge.”
    • “The gameplay is incredibly basic, with the only gimmick being that you switch between the girl and her shadow.”
    • “Like the gameplay itself, it starts off well enough to keep the player intrigued and engaged, but midway through it starts to fall apart, becoming increasingly repetitive, needlessly confusing, and culminating in an entirely unsatisfying end.”
    • “The gameplay ends up being the same 2-3 things over and over in various flavors of the same thing, which gets boring over about 5-6 hours.”
  • music
    268 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has been widely praised for its calming, evocative, and beautifully composed nature, enhancing the overall atmosphere and emotional depth of the gameplay. Many players noted that the soundtrack complements the visuals and gameplay mechanics seamlessly, with dynamic changes reflecting character transitions and emotional states. Overall, the music is considered one of the standout features of the game, with requests for a standalone soundtrack release frequently mentioned.

    • “The music is outstanding and sets a perfect audio mood alongside the beautiful visuals; the art of this game is high.”
    • “The soundtrack is honestly one of the best indie soundtracks I've heard in recent times, and to be quite honest a good few hours of my gameplay is actually just me leaving the soundtrack running because it's super chill and pretty calming.”
    • “The music seriously carries it, with beautiful soundtracks that really match the atmosphere they're trying to set in each stage.”
    • “I felt disappointed that there was no OST release for the game.”
    • “The accompanying music does the job well enough but doesn't stand out like the visuals do.”
    • “In contrast to the thoughtfulness of the gameplay and music, the ever-present story comes across as particularly 'muddy' as well as being slightly pretentious, crudely voice-acted, and doing a grossly inadequate job of discussing mental illness.”
  • graphics
    206 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Shady Part of Me" have been widely praised for their stunning and unique art style, which combines hand-drawn aesthetics with a dreamlike atmosphere. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke emotions through its visuals, complemented by a haunting soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. While some found the color palette a bit drab, the majority agree that the visuals are a standout feature, creating an immersive environment that beautifully aligns with the game's themes and gameplay mechanics.

    • “A heartfelt journey brought to life with stunning visuals and thoughtful gameplay.”
    • “The art style steals the show: soft, hand-drawn lines and a clever interplay of light and shadow create a dreamlike vibe.”
    • “The visuals and sound are superb and create a unique atmosphere that's simultaneously dark and bleak, but also calming and comforting.”
    • “The graphics aren't anything to write home about.”
    • “Graphics are a bit drab on the color front, but I did very much like the art style and animations (the world sometimes completely changes around you for instance).”
    • “That said, almost everything about the game, including its story, aesthetic, and core mechanics, are lifted wholesale from more memorable indie games like Braid, Limbo, Little Nightmares, and Contrast.”
  • atmosphere
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its haunting beauty, evocative music, and immersive visuals that create a dreamlike and melancholic experience. Players appreciate the combination of artistic design and sound that enhances the emotional narrative, making it a standout feature of the gameplay. While some critiques mention the voice acting and story clarity, the overall ambiance is described as captivating and integral to the game's appeal, particularly for fans of atmospheric puzzle-platformers.

    • “The whole game has a very dreamlike atmosphere and stylization, underlined both by the picturesque, lively backgrounds, and the flowy, very well framed camerawork, which takes us through this ever-changing setting littered with words written and spoken, adding to the surreality of it.”
    • “The hand-drawn visuals and hauntingly beautiful atmosphere perfectly complement the game’s emotional narrative.”
    • “To top it off, it has fantastic atmosphere, music and narrative, with every single element coming together to form an all around lovely, eerie, and amazing experience.”
    • “But I really wish there was an explanation at the end of what happened to the girl, why she's in the room filled with voices and a scary atmosphere.”
    • “Visually, the game is gorgeous in a sense, but the colors are muted and the atmosphere is melancholy.”
    • “There is barely any timed action, so the stress level is one out of ten, just because of the slightly creepy atmosphere.”
  • emotional
    75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching narrative and deep themes of self-discovery, trauma, and emotional struggles, which resonate with many players. While some found the story and characters profoundly moving, others felt a lack of emotional connection or clarity in the narrative. Overall, the game is praised for its beautiful visuals, engaging puzzles, and the ability to evoke strong feelings, making it a worthwhile experience for those seeking an emotional journey.

    • “While this game won't give you a ton of adrenaline, action, or excitement, it does offer a wonderful storyline intertwined with exceptional, unique gameplay that will leave you incredibly emotional, touching on deep spiritual themes related to self-discovery, self-knowledge, self-understanding, and self-acceptance.”
    • “A heartfelt journey brought to life with stunning visuals and thoughtful gameplay.”
    • “The hand-drawn visuals and hauntingly beautiful atmosphere perfectly complement the game’s emotional narrative.”
  • grinding
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often requiring excessive walking and repetitive tasks that detract from the overall experience. While some enjoy the game, many feel that achieving 100% completion can be a slog without guidance, with the need for prolonged character movement and simple puzzles contributing to the grind.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “This is all very slow and tedious.”
    • “Verges on tedious at times: downsides are excessive amount of walking for the sake of walking, and a drawn-out storyline that doesn't quite work.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is well-optimized, running smoothly without any significant performance issues, particularly during platforming sequences. However, users caution against allowing the computer to enter screensaver mode while playing. Overall, the experience is enhanced by strong voice acting and an impressive soundtrack.

    • “The game runs smoothly, but be careful letting your computer go to screensaver mode while the game is running.”
    • “As a platformer game, [i]Shady Part of Me[/i] runs smoothly—jumping between platforms is never made difficult and there are no timing-based mechanics that will ruin your playthrough either.”
    • “Loved the music and the wonderful performance of the voice actors.”
  • replayability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is limited, typical of many puzzle games, but players can extend their experience by seeking out all secrets, which adds some incentive for multiple playthroughs. The main campaign lasts about five hours, making it a relatively short experience.

    • “Though I just wish it had replayability; that's the only downside to all puzzle games.”
    • “The game will take you about 5 hours to finish, with some replayability if you want to find every single secret.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor is characterized by its cute and adorable characters, complemented by well-crafted animations and a detailed environment. Players find the voice work amusing, adding to the overall lighthearted and relaxing experience of the sidescroller.

    • “This game got me so emotional inside; the characters are so cute, adorable, and funny.”
    • “A relaxing game, a nice sidescroller with a self-coop part, beautifully animated, with detailed environments that are funny and well created.”
    • “The voice work is decent and funny at times.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with only minor glitches reported, such as occasional character deaths when hitting corners. Most players find the experience clean and cohesive, though a few lines of dialogue may feel off.

    • “No glitches or gripes here, just a clean, cohesive ride.”
    • “The game runs smoothly without any crashes, making for a seamless experience.”
    • “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it allows me to focus on strategy without interruptions.”
    • “There are some glitches (absolutely nothing major, just dying when you hit a corner sometimes) and a couple of the lines of dialogue feel strange.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The character development in the game is enhanced by whimsical designs and seamless world transitions, effectively complementing the narrative and the characters' situations within the story.

    • “The art and character design of this game suits the narrative and the situation of the characters in the story.”
    • “Whimsical character designs and neat world transitions.”
Skip Critic Reviews

78%Critics’ scoreBased on 12 critic reviews
Skip Game Offers

Buy Shady Part of Me

7h Median play time
7h Average play time
5-9h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Shady Part of Me

Games Like Shady Part of Me

RiME Image
78%2.3kreviews

RiME

2017Open World Action Adventure
Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPC+7
Viewfinder Image
90%7.5kreviews

Viewfinder

2023Platformer
Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPC+8
Planet of Lana Image
87%3.8kreviews

Planet of Lana

2023Platformer
Nintendo SwitchPlaystation 5Playstation 4+10
Contrast Image
74%2.4kreviews

Contrast

2013Arcade Platformer
Playstation 3Xbox 360Playstation 5+11
LIMBO Image
85%20.2kreviews

LIMBO

2011Casual Platformer
Playstation 3Nintendo SwitchXbox 360+20
More games like Shady Part of Me
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Shady Part of Me is a platformer game.

Shady Part of Me is available on PC, Xbox One, Steam Deck, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 7 hours playing Shady Part of Me.

Shady Part of Me was released on December 10, 2020.

Shady Part of Me was developed by Douze Dixièmes.

Shady Part of Me has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Shady Part of Me is a single player game.

Similar games include RiME, Viewfinder, Planet of Lana, Contrast, LIMBO and others.