Skaramazuzu

About

Skaramazuzu is a single player puzzle game with a mystery theme. It was developed by iphigames and was released on April 3, 2024. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Skaramazuzu is a single-player Mystery Adventure game with a phenomenal story set in a unique black and white shadow puppet world called The Void. As a lost soul named Zuzu, players will explore ancient gothic-like structures, discover new locations with captivating backgrounds and soundscapes, and uncover the mysteries of this strange and moody landscape. This slow-paced, story-driven game promises a unique and atmospheric experience for players."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 48 reviews

story18 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Skaramazuzu features distinct minimalist aesthetics with charming hand-drawn visuals and a unique atmosphere that draws players into its eerie world.
The game offers an interesting narrative that explores themes of life, death, and kindness, with quirky characters that add depth to the experience.
Despite its simplicity, the game provides a relaxing and enjoyable experience, making it a delightful choice for those looking for a short, story-driven adventure.

The puzzles are often uninspired and overly simplistic, primarily consisting of fetch quests that lack creativity and challenge.
Dialogue can be repetitive and shallow, with characters frequently reiterating the same points, which detracts from the overall storytelling experience.
The pacing can feel frustrating due to excessive backtracking and slow movement, making the gameplay tedious at times.

story
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
54%
7%
The story of "Skaramazuzu" is described as whimsical and touching, focusing on themes of self-discovery and kindness, with memorable characters and a visually captivating art style. However, the narrative suffers from pacing issues and excessive dialogue, leading to a gameplay experience that can feel tedious due to repetitive fetch quests. While some players found the story engaging and emotionally resonant, others criticized it for lacking depth and coherence, making it a mixed bag overall.
- “A very well told story!!”
- “It's a touching story about kindness.”
- “Skaramazuzu is a delightful story game with captivating hand-drawn art, while its whimsical world and endearing characters ensure an enchanting experience from start to finish.”
- “Unfortunately, poor storytelling, bad dialogues, and pacing prevent it from reaching its full depth.”
- “Between key story beats, progression becomes a chore: long walks, empty filler tasks, then story, then more errands and walking, then again story.”
- “One character in particular contributes heavily to the game’s story having some emotional resonance, but sadly, most other characters exist to overexplain the items they need as you engage in mindless trading sequences or puzzles that you barely need to consider to solve.”
graphics
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
47%
18%
The graphics of Skaramzuzu are characterized by distinct minimalist hand-drawn visuals, featuring charming black-and-white artwork that creates an intriguing and eerie atmosphere. Players appreciate the unique aesthetic, which combines cute and creepy elements, enhancing both the gameplay experience and the narrative. Overall, the visuals are described as simple yet beautiful, contributing significantly to the game's artistic appeal.
- “Technically, it holds up well with its minimalist hand-drawn visuals, eerie ambiance, and quirky voice work.”
- “The hand-drawn grayscale visuals, clean lines, and stark contrasts create an intriguing world.”
- “It boasts cute and creepy characters and settings depicted in charming black-and-white artwork, a poignant narrative, casual gameplay, and original sound design.”
- “However, beyond aesthetics, the experience quickly unravels.”
- “The graphics are very visually unique, but they don't compensate for the overall gameplay experience.”
- “Its ambience and visuals paint a pretty weird picture, but they fail to elevate the gameplay.”
atmosphere
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
18%
19%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique blend of mystery and emotion, effectively balancing wholesome and eerie elements. Players appreciate the hand-drawn artwork, engaging music, and strong voice acting, all of which enhance the narrative experience. Overall, the game's atmospheric design significantly contributes to its enjoyment, immersing players in a captivating limbo between life and death.
- “The game's artwork and the peculiar language help to create an atmosphere that not only enhances the gameplay experience but also the enjoyment of the narrative.”
- “The atmosphere is full of mystery; the art department really gave it their all.”
- “The atmosphere doesn’t totally clash because the subject matter is still about being stuck in limbo and the protagonist’s lost memories, and there are a few characters who have sadder tales.”
- “Its well made and has an atmosphere that balances the edge between wholesome and eerie; that's the game's greatest strength.”
gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
The gameplay in "Skaramazuzu" is characterized by its simplicity, primarily revolving around exploration, dialogue, and a series of fetch quests, which some players found tedious and lacking in creativity. While the charming black-and-white artwork and engaging narrative elements were appreciated, the repetitive mechanics and occasional dead ends detracted from the overall experience, leaving some players feeling bored. Despite these criticisms, others noted that the gameplay improved as they progressed, highlighting a mix of casual interaction and puzzle-solving.
- “The game was a little obscure in the beginning, but the story and gameplay grew on me as I progressed through.”
- “The gameplay is pretty simple - explore and talk with people and help them however you can.”
- “It boasts cute and creepy characters and settings depicted in charming black-and-white artwork, a poignant narrative, casual gameplay, and original sound design.”
- “There are also some problematic mechanics and too much slow, annoying walking in the same ten screens for the whole game.”
- “Mechanically simple and lacking creativity, the puzzles often reduce to mere fetch quests with painfully obvious solutions.”
- “There’s no connective tissue between gameplay and narrative, making the structure feel tedious.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by subtle dark undertones and a mix of quirky, interesting characters that elicit a range of emotions, from laughter to empathy. Players appreciate the humorous interactions, particularly through funny voice acting and the main character's uniquely detached dialogue style. Overall, the humor enhances the intriguing story and contributes to an unexpected emotional depth.
- “Interesting characters; some are creepy and you're never sure of their motives, others are endearing, and there are plenty of humorous interactions.”
- “I honestly think it was an interesting game with many funny characters and an intriguing story, which results in an unexpected emotional ending!”
- “Zuzu is a funny little guy, an innocent soul who has lost his memory.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
29%
14%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to create a captivating atmosphere, blending beautiful and sometimes ominous melodies that enhance the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the relaxing and immersive quality of the soundtrack, which complements the hand-drawn art and unique character interactions.
- “The music and atmosphere are also great.”
- “It features wonderful art and music, creating a great atmosphere.”
- “While the murmuring voice emotes of the characters left me feeling like I was eavesdropping on a conversation I wasn't invited to (awkward!), the music swept me off my feet like a romantic ballad at prom.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while it features a touching story and an unexpected emotional ending, many players feel that the protagonist lacks a strong connection with them. The atmosphere strikes a balance between wholesome and eerie, and although some characters resonate emotionally, others detract from the experience with trivial interactions. Overall, the game is noted for its intriguing narrative and art style, but the emotional impact is uneven.
- “Its well made and has an atmosphere that balances the edge between wholesome and eerie, that's the game's greatest strength.”
- “I honestly think it was an interesting game with many funny characters and an intriguing story which results in an unexpected emotional ending!”
- “It's a touching story about kindness.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious due to a lack of narrative connection, slow character movement, and excessive dialogue during item collection, which contributes to a frustrating back-and-forth traversal experience.
- “There’s no connective tissue between gameplay and narrative, making the structure feel tedious.”
- “Zuzu moves at a sluggish pace, making the excessive back-and-forth traversal feel downright tedious.”
- “The game can be a bit tedious in that just picking up an item might involve several lines of dialogue.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers highlight the impressive character design, noting that it contributes positively to the overall character development in the game.
- “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
- “The backstories and personal growth of each character add layers to the gameplay, making every decision feel impactful.”