"This Child Of Mine" is a 2.5D adventure platformer set during an alien invasion. As a mother, protect your child and survive together using stealth and the alien slug grappling hook. Get infected by a smart-mouthed parasite and explore the beautifully hand-drawn environments in this survival horror game.
The game features a fun storyline that keeps players engaged.
It's a free demo with decent graphics and sound, making it accessible for everyone.
The game has potential with interesting concepts and puzzles, and many players hope for a full release.
The game is plagued by numerous bugs, especially during the final boss battle, which can hinder progress.
Movement feels slow and clunky, making gameplay frustrating at times.
The demo is very short, leaving players wanting more and feeling like it ends abruptly.
story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
42%
8%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it intriguing and enjoyable, particularly praising its unique premise and engaging dialogue. However, some critiques highlight a lack of depth and originality, noting that it resembles other well-known narratives. Overall, while the story shows potential and sets an interesting mood, players hope for more development and detail in future updates.
“The story is unique and intriguing.”
“There is a great deal of potential here, not only in terms of gameplay but also regarding the story of the mother and child.”
“At first, I found the game endearing; it had decent voice acting that left a story premise that I felt would be long-lasting in my mind.”
“In fact, the concept is merely a copy of another well-known story available for free elsewhere.”
“The game concept is good, but the game is a bit shallow right now on story and lore.”
“I'm not sure what direction you intend to take this game, but I do hope to see both a lengthier game and a more detailed story as changes and/or additions are made.”
graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
54%
15%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the pleasing visuals and atmosphere, while others criticize them as sub-par and plagued by bugs. Although there are moments of excellent design, particularly in certain puzzles, the overall graphical quality is seen as inconsistent, leading to a lack of recommendation from some users due to gameplay issues.
“The little connect the dot puzzles are a nice change of pace from side-scrolling and the visuals are excellent.”
“The animations and graphics are nice.”
“+ pleasing graphics and atmosphere”
“A bit short, graphically not that amazing.”
“Mechanics are awful, there's no story, graphics and animations are very sub-par to non-existent and this thing is littered with bugs.”
“But I do point out a few graphics things that I feel need improvement or fixing.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The gameplay is criticized for its lack of challenge, poor mechanics, and short duration of about 15 minutes, with issues such as ineffective jumping and movement. While some players appreciate the simplicity and potential of certain mechanics, many note that they are underutilized and overshadowed by bugs and subpar graphics. Overall, the gameplay experience is seen as lacking depth and polish, despite a few positive elements.
“There is a great deal of potential here, not only in terms of gameplay but also regarding the story of the mother and child.”
“It is a wonderful game, I like the gameplay; it is easy to handle and I enjoy the minigame where you have to connect the light points.”
“+ simple and understandable gameplay”
“The game runs for about 15 minutes at best as there's not really much of a challenge other than the movement that makes progression harder; there is no running and the jumping mechanics are not done well.”
“Mechanics are awful; there's no story, graphics and animations are very sub-par to non-existent, and this thing is littered with bugs.”
“Certain mechanics were shown but never reused.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has received significant criticism for its stability, with multiple users reporting severe bugs, particularly towards the end of playthroughs. Common issues include freezing character models and malfunctioning mechanics, such as a non-functional grapple hook during critical moments. Overall, players describe the experience as marred by persistent and frustrating glitches.
“The game is extremely buggy.”
“Worst piece of buggy trash I've seen on Steam yet.”
“Did enjoy the game until the buggy end-boss where my grapple hook stopped working.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the presence of a snarky alien parasite, which adds a comedic element to the protagonist's tense situation of avoiding alien abduction while caring for her child. While some reviews note that the humor is a standout feature, they also mention that it is somewhat limited, with only a few humorous moments throughout the game. Overall, the humor contributes positively to the atmosphere and story, making it a memorable aspect for players.
“She's alone with her child and avoiding abduction by aliens while carrying an alien parasite with a snarky sense of humor.”
“It's very humorous to listen to and it's by far my favorite part of this game so far.”
“Atmosphere was great, story is somewhat interesting and funny.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for being amazing and visually pleasing, contributing significantly to the overall experience. Many users recommend the game for its engaging ambiance, which complements its somewhat interesting and humorous story.
“The atmosphere is amazing, and I'd highly recommend picking it up!”
“Pleasing graphics and atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere was great; the story is somewhat interesting and funny.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
50%
The game's music is largely absent during gameplay, with a soundtrack that only plays during the credits, resulting in a lack of ambiance that contributes to a slower experience. While some players appreciated the music when it was present, the overall absence of sound during key moments detracted from the enjoyment of the game. This has led to mixed reviews, with some players feeling that the lack of a consistent soundtrack negatively impacted their experience.
“The characters and environment are quite nice, but the soundtrack really only exists during the credits, leaving the rest of the game feeling even slower with no music or ambient noise.”
“Nice little game, I was enjoying my time with it. Overall, its graphics are nice, the music is good, and the storyline is standard.”
“There is no soundtrack for the setting.”
“The game lacks a soundtrack that fits the environment.”
“The absence of a soundtrack really detracts from the overall experience.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers express a desire for further optimization and polishing of the game, indicating that while it shows potential, there are still minor issues that need to be addressed. Many would consider supporting a future Kickstarter campaign to help enhance the game's overall quality and content.
“There are little things that need to be optimized and polished.”
“I would back it on Kickstarter (if they do another one) to help get the game finished, polished, optimized, and have more content added.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is limited due to its short length, resulting in minimal connection to the characters. However, there is potential for deeper development if more content is created in the future.
“Because it is only short, there isn't much character development or connection to the character, but that can happen when you make more for this game.”