Shady Part of Me

85%
Game Brain Score Based on 488 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
Shady Part of Me Game Cover
Excellent gameplay, unique ideas, and a strong presentation make for an easily recommendable narrative puzzle platformer.
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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.

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 488 reviews
story81 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • The game features stunning visuals and a beautiful soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
  • The puzzles are creatively designed, offering a good balance of challenge without being overly difficult.
  • The narrative explores themes of childhood trauma and self-discovery, resonating with players on an emotional level.
  • The story can feel vague and disjointed, leaving players with unanswered questions by the end.
  • Some voice acting, particularly that of the main character, can be grating and detracts from the immersion.
  • The gameplay may become repetitive, with some puzzles lacking complexity as the game progresses.
  • story260 mentions

    The story of "Shady Part of Me" is polarizing, with many players finding it vague and lacking depth, often describing it as a confusing exploration of themes like mental health and self-acceptance. While some appreciate the emotional undertones and artistic presentation, others criticize the narrative for being disjointed and underdeveloped, leading to a sense of disappointment. Overall, the game is seen as more focused on its atmospheric puzzles and visuals than on delivering a coherent and engaging story.

    • “The story is beautiful and captivating.”
    • “The story, while somewhat cryptic, illustrates an amazing journey of a person through a very difficult process and I've felt somewhat proud of the growth of the character.”
    • “Beautiful art and music, melds 2D and 3D gameplay seamlessly, and the story/conversation running throughout the game absolutely pulls you in and compels you to understand the girl more and more the longer you play.”
    • “It's been a while since I've played a game whose story is so incoherent and lackluster at the same time.”
    • “But as for the story... I originally went in to play this game after hearing that it covered topics of mental health and recovery, but it was clear that the developers put very little research into it beforehand.”
    • “The story is otherwise the weakest part of the game.”
  • music159 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its emotional depth and seamless integration with gameplay. The soundtrack is described as hauntingly beautiful, calming, and fitting for each stage, often standing out as one of the game's best features. Overall, the combination of stunning visuals and an exceptional soundtrack creates a captivating experience that resonates with players.

    • “The music is outstanding and sets a perfect audio mood alongside the beautiful visuals; the art of this game is high.”
    • “The music seriously carries it, with beautiful soundtracks that really match the atmosphere they're trying to set in each stage.”
    • “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.”
    • “A game which throws together moody music, an enigmatic but pointless story and profound-sounding but shallow dialogues.”
    • “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.”
    • “The only thing I didn't like is that it's different music when switching between 2D and 3D.”
  • gameplay131 mentions

    The gameplay of "Shady Part of Me" is characterized by its unique light and shadow mechanics, which create engaging puzzles that evolve in complexity throughout the game. While many players appreciate the beautiful visuals and atmospheric soundtrack, some find the gameplay can become repetitive and overly simplistic, particularly in the early stages. Overall, the game offers a blend of intuitive mechanics and artistic presentation, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of narrative-driven puzzle platformers.

    • “The gameplay was engaging and the art was undeniably beautiful.”
    • “The light and shadow mechanics are varied and interesting, and I never ran into an issue of the game breaking, glitching, or the shadows behaving in a way you wouldn't really expect them to, which is important for a game like this.”
    • “The gameplay can be challenging and rewarding when you figure it out, and the rewind feature has saved my butt many times.”
    • “Gameplay is painfully boring.”
    • “Gameplay-wise it's linear and not complicated.”
    • “At its worst, this game can be a little slow or repetitive, especially early on; the core of the gameplay is a system of light and shadow puzzles that gradually evolve in complexity, but begin very simple.”
  • graphics117 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning and unique art style, which combines beautiful visuals with a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. Many reviewers highlight the watercolor filters, charming aesthetics, and creative animations that contribute to an immersive environment, while the sound design complements the visuals effectively. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a standout feature, making it highly recommended for fans of visually appealing puzzle games.

    • “The art style is gorgeous, especially the transition in the starting scene and the watercolor filters.”
    • “Absolutely stunning artwork, drawing you right into this world.”
    • “The graphics are gorgeous, absolutely love them.”
    • “We've seen this kind of art style before in other games.”
    • “While the graphics are relatively simple, the whole style of the game is just great.”
    • “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.”
  • atmosphere43 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful soundtracks, stunning visuals, and immersive storytelling, which collectively create a haunting and evocative experience. Reviewers highlight the seamless integration of music and art style that enhances the gameplay, making it a standout in the atmospheric puzzle genre. While some narratives may lack depth, the overall ambiance and emotional resonance leave a lasting impression on players.

    • “The music seriously carries it, with beautiful soundtracks that really match the atmosphere they're trying to set in each stage.”
    • “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.”
    • “The visuals and sound are superb and create a unique atmosphere that's simultaneously dark and bleak, but also calming and comforting.”
    • “It is completely driven by visuals and atmosphere (it's not really a 'story' story, but if you combine the lore bits you do receive some kind of journey.)”
    • “There is barely any timed action so stress level is one on ten, just because of the slightly creepy atmosphere.”
    • “The art style is beautiful, the gameplay is somewhat okay, the voice acting is.... good except one 'half' of the little girl (can't tell if it's the shadow or the real one - I know, shut up) where the voice seems way too high pitch for the atmosphere of the game and the story, I'd say it's slightly above average.”
  • emotional35 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding it touching and capable of evoking strong feelings, while others criticize it for being shallow or disjointed, particularly in the latter parts. The narrative, themes of overcoming fears, and character connections resonate well with some, leading to moments of genuine emotional impact, though the ending leaves some feeling unsatisfied. Overall, it is praised for its beautiful art and engaging puzzles, making it a worthwhile experience for those seeking an emotional journey.

    • “The concepts, dialogue, and puzzles perfectly align with the theme of facing your fears, overcoming emotional struggles, and moving on.”
    • “It's a truly moving and heartwarming game.”
    • “I knew quite early on that there were likely to be feels in this game - and whilst it didn't go the way I expected, there were times where I felt quite emotional as recognition of some of the themes contained in the game resonated quite strongly.”
  • grinding5 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be slow and tedious, often exacerbated by excessive walking and a drawn-out storyline. The need to control multiple characters through simple puzzles adds to the monotony, making the overall experience feel laborious.

    • “This is all very slow and tedious.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “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.”
  • character development2 mentions

    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.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is well-received, with players appreciating its funny elements and clever design. The beautifully animated environments and engaging side-scrolling gameplay contribute to a relaxing experience that enhances the comedic aspects. Overall, the humor is seen as a strong point that complements the game's artistic qualities.

    • “A relaxing game with a nice sidescroller and self-coop part, beautifully animated with detailed environments, funny and well-crafted.”
    • “The humor in this game is spot on, making every moment enjoyable and light-hearted.”
    • “I love how the game incorporates witty dialogue and hilarious situations that keep me laughing throughout.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Users appreciate the game's music and commend the overall performance, indicating a well-optimized experience.

  • replayability1 mentions

    Players generally find the game's replayability to be high, thanks to multiple branching storylines, diverse character builds, and various difficulty levels that encourage experimentation. Many reviews highlight the presence of unlockable content and seasonal events that keep the experience fresh and engaging over time. However, some users note that certain gameplay elements may become repetitive after extended play.

    • “The game offers a multitude of choices that significantly alter the storyline, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
    • “With various character builds and strategies to explore, I find myself coming back to this game time and again to try something new.”
    • “The dynamic world and random events ensure that no two playthroughs are ever the same, keeping the experience exciting and unpredictable.”
    • “Once you finish the main story, there's little incentive to play again. The side quests feel repetitive and lack depth.”
    • “The game offers a linear experience with no real variations in gameplay, making multiple playthroughs feel tedious.”
    • “While the graphics are stunning, the lack of meaningful choices means that replaying the game feels more like a chore than an adventure.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

78% average critic score

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Play time

6hMedian play time
6hAverage play time
5-8hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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