The Last Show of Mr. Chardish

About

"The Last Show of Mr. Chardish" is a narrative-driven game with a special focus on its soundtrack, which is available on streaming platforms and Steam. The game follows Ella's journey into the past as she explores an abandoned theater. It has been praised for its emotional story and touching portrayal of loss. The prologue, "Act I," is available for free on Steam.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

The Last Show of Mr. Chardish screenshot

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 57 reviews

story6 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features a beautiful art style and engaging visuals that create a captivating atmosphere.
The narrative is emotionally rich, exploring complex relationships and memories, which many players found moving and poignant.
The gameplay includes a variety of mechanics across different chapters, keeping the experience fresh and interesting.

Some players found the gameplay repetitive and lacking in depth, with many sections feeling like simple point-to-point navigation.
The controls, particularly during the bird flight sequences, were criticized for being frustrating and unresponsive.
Several bugs and technical issues, such as interface elements not disappearing properly, detracted from the overall experience.

story
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
79%
7%
The story of this short walking simulator revolves around the poignant and emotional journey of a provincial theater director and his co-founder, exploring themes of relationships and their complexities. While some players found the narrative engaging and creatively presented through various theatrical mini-adventures, others felt it lacked depth and predictability. Overall, it offers a touching experience with a blend of artful storytelling and gameplay that keeps players invested in the characters' emotional connections.
- “The story was moving and kept my interest as it was conveyed through notes and recordings and as the characters’ thoughts as you move through the game.”
- “The story is really poignant and moving and draws you in with its emotion and charm.”
- “On the whole this is a lovely game that keeps your interest with a touching story and variety in gameplay and scenes in each chapter that makes it worth it to play and enjoy.”
- “I have mixed feelings about this one, though I got it on sale and would only recommend this to someone who really would be impressed by the art style alone and is easily impressed by a shallow sentimental story.”
- “Mostly I just found the narrative to be a dry, predictable, fairy tale love story with the odd regret.”
- “It doesn't get there, or anywhere close, but it is a decent story of a flawed man told through decently clever metaphorical plays, with actually really good art direction and not-bad (but not great) voice acting.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
46%
11%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their enchanting and beautiful art styles, featuring a mix of hand-painted watercolor visuals that create an immersive experience reminiscent of being inside a painting. While some players noted minor graphical glitches and mixed feelings about the third-person art style, the overall aesthetic presentation is considered a highlight, particularly for fans of visually stunning walking simulators. The combination of distinct art styles across different gameplay perspectives adds to the game's charm, making it appealing despite its gameplay shortcomings.
- “The art style really made me feel like I was inside a painting.”
- “I was absolutely enchanted by this game's visuals, and I can only recommend it to anyone who enjoys beautiful walking sims.”
- “This game has absolutely beautiful graphics and music, and the voice acting was very well done.”
- “It's not gameplay focused, but still tries to have some gameplay, then doesn't deliver on the strong aesthetic presentation something like this would need to work.”
- “The art style for the third person part of the game is an acquired taste that I'm not a fan of but it can be overlooked.”
- “I have mixed feelings about this one, though I got it on sale and would only recommend this to someone who really would be impressed by the art style alone and is easily impressed by a shallow sentimental story.”
gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
77%
12%
The gameplay is not the primary focus of the game, but it attempts to incorporate various mechanics that, while simple and straightforward, can be engaging and enjoyable. Players experience a mix of first-person and third-person perspectives across distinct art styles, with puzzles that vary in complexity and contribute to the narrative. Overall, the gameplay is complemented by a touching story and diverse scenes, making it a worthwhile experience despite some criticisms regarding its aesthetic execution.
- “I liked the combination of two extremely different art styles and from first to third person gameplay.”
- “The gameplay alternates between 1st person as Ella in the real world and 3rd person as one of the play characters in the fairytale worlds, both world types having two very distinct painting art styles.”
- “On the whole, this is a lovely game that keeps your interest with a touching story and variety in gameplay and scenes in each chapter that makes it worth it to play and enjoy.”
- “It's not gameplay focused, but still tries to have some gameplay, then doesn't deliver on the strong aesthetic presentation something like this would need to work.”
- “The cherry on top is the story just doesn't support the dull gameplay.”
- “Evoking emotion with art doesn't require looking painted, it requires composition, color, lighting, and especially the lighting is so flat and uninspired - even in a level that has light as a mechanic - it's truly tragic.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotional depth, featuring a touching narrative that explores themes of regret, love, and the complexities of relationships. Its beautiful art style enhances the experience, making players feel immersed in a heartfelt story reminiscent of titles like "To the Moon." Overall, it offers a compelling blend of exploration and emotional resonance, appealing to those who appreciate a rich, evocative gaming experience.
- “On the whole, this is a lovely game that keeps your interest with a touching story and variety in gameplay and scenes in each chapter that makes it worth it to play and enjoy.”
- “The game is very emotional, full of regret, lost chances, dashed hopes and dreams, joy and love, anger and disappointment.”
- “This is not a game about the story; the beats are pretty clear within the first few minutes. Rather, it is an exploration of the complicated emotional connection between two creative people, how they converged and how they came apart, and how even after parting that connection lingers.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in the game is praised for its beauty and subtlety, enhancing the narrative without overpowering it. Reviewers highlight the enjoyable soundtrack and commend the quality of the voice acting, contributing to the overall immersive experience.
- “This game has absolutely beautiful graphics and music, and the voice acting was very well done.”
- “Music was subtle and never drowned out the narrative.”
- “The soundtrack is enjoyable and the voice acting is well done.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The game successfully creates a magical atmosphere that lingers long after completion, immersing players in a dilapidated theater setting. While the experience is relatively short, the engaging narrative and environmental storytelling through notes and audio logs enhance the overall mood, making it a worthwhile journey.
- “It does deliver the kind of magical atmosphere that is promised.”
- “It is rather short, that's true, but it is well worth the entrance fee and the atmosphere and mood will stay with you for a while after playing through.”
- “The framing of the game is you, playing the actress Ella as she wanders through a dilapidated theater, reading notes, listening to audio logs, and soaking up the atmosphere as you learn about the titular playwright.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, with a significant portion of gameplay consisting of repetitive "vignettes" that detract from the overall experience, despite some visually appealing first-person environments.
- “Some of the first-person environments were pretty nice looking, but 75% of this game consists of play 'vignettes,' which I honestly found tedious.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is criticized for having poorly defined boundaries, leading to players frequently flying out of the game world, which causes stuttering and requires restarts from checkpoints. This issue significantly detracts from the overall gameplay experience.
- “To make matters worse, the boundaries of the game are 'soft', so I continued to fly into spaces outside of the game world, which resulted in a 'stuttering' and stuck bird, requiring a restart from the last checkpoint.”