This Child Of Mine

About

This is a short 2.5D adventure platformer. Travel along with a woman and her child surviving during an alien invasion. Inspired by classic sci-fi, this quiet, melancholy journey will show the depths a mother will go to protect her child, if she can survive...

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

63%

Audience ScoreBased on 56 reviews

story10 positive mentions

stability5 negative mentions

The game features a good story line and interesting dialogue, particularly with the humorous alien parasite.
It has decent graphics and atmosphere, making it visually appealing for a short playthrough.
The game is free to play, making it accessible for anyone interested in trying it out.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, especially during the boss battle, which can prevent progress.
Movement feels slow and clunky, making gameplay frustrating at times.
The demo is very short, lasting only about 15-20 minutes, and ends abruptly, leaving players wanting more.

story
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
35%
15%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it interesting and engaging, particularly praising its unique premise and potential for development. However, some critiques highlight a lack of depth and originality, with comparisons to other well-known narratives. Overall, while the story shows promise, it may require further expansion and refinement to fully realize its potential.
- “It's a demo, and from what I saw it has an interesting plot for an indie game.”
- “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.”
- “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
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
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 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
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The gameplay is criticized for its lack of challenge and poorly executed mechanics, such as ineffective jumping and movement limitations, leading to a short experience of about 15 minutes. While some users appreciate the simplicity and potential of certain mechanics, overall feedback highlights significant issues with bugs, graphics, and a lack of engaging content.
- “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.”
- “Certain mechanics were shown but never reused.”
- “Mechanics are awful; there's no story, graphics and animations are very sub-par to non-existent, and this game is littered with bugs.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been widely criticized for its instability, with multiple users reporting significant bugs, particularly towards the end of playthroughs. Issues include freezing character models and malfunctioning mechanics, such as a non-responsive grapple hook during critical moments, detracting from the overall experience.
- “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
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the witty dialogue of an alien parasite, which adds a comedic touch to the otherwise tense scenario of avoiding alien abduction. While some users find the humor to be a standout feature, others feel it is limited, with only a few amusing moments throughout the experience. Overall, the humor contributes positively to the game's atmosphere and story.
- “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
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its amazing and pleasing graphics, contributing to an engaging experience. Reviewers find it interesting and humorous, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the story.
- “The atmosphere is amazing, and I'd highly recommend picking it up. If not, check out my short, helpful playthrough! :D”
- “The graphics and atmosphere are pleasing.”
- “The atmosphere was great; the story is somewhat interesting and funny.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The music in the game is largely absent, with a notable lack of a soundtrack during gameplay, which contributes to a slower experience. While some players appreciated the music during the credits, the overall feedback indicates that the sparse audio design detracts from the enjoyment of the game.
- “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 the normal thing.”
- “There is no soundtrack for the setting.”
- “The music is completely absent, making the experience feel empty.”
- “The lack of a musical score really detracts from the overall atmosphere.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
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 backing a future Kickstarter campaign to support these improvements and the addition of more content.
- “I would back it on Kickstarter (if they do another one) to help get the game finished, polished, optimized, and to add more content.”
- “Would I back it on Kickstarter (if they do another one) to help get the game finished, polished, optimized, and more content added?”
- “There are little things that need to be optimized and polished.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the game's short length limits character development and player connection, suggesting that future expansions could enhance this aspect significantly.
- “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.”