The candle light is the only source of light in the dark forest. I stumble around trying to find a way back home. Why did I leave? As I walk across some stepping stones across a river I hear deep breathing and it gets louder the further I go. Then there is a noise behind me. I start to run but it is fast. I turn and White shining teeth come at me.
You play as Hans, a 10 year old child who embarks on an adventure in search of riches. His father has left to go to war and his mother is very poor. Hans wants money and materialistic materials but what is he willing to go through to get them?
At the start of the game you are given a few decisions that will shape how the game plays out. I really liked this because at the start you do not know what these decisions will lead to. It made the game much more exciting and immersive.
It is a pixelated design which reminds me of older and handheld games but it has a feel of it being modern as well which makes it remarkable to play through. The design was beautiful and had so much depth just by using colours.
The game has very little spoken dialogue but rather uses written which I think makes a game so much more immersive. You read first hand the story that is unfolding instead of being told the story. The writing is also a good size and easy to read. There are little sounds that the characters make that just give the writing a bit more emotion as well.
The sound effects in the game are done perfectly. If you’re walking through the forest the sound of the grass under your feet is clear and sounds like grass being trampled on. When you go from the grass to the dirt the sound effects change which is subtle but makes it worth it.
The takes a bit of skill as you need to place candles around Tembre Castle, where Count Lucanor lives, so that you can see the enemies around you and hide quickly. However if they see you and chase you it is heart racing as you make your way through the puzzles in the rooms to escape. I really enjoyed this part because it had my heart racing and the goats are terrifying.
The game is quite challenging as well because you have gold coins that you have to use to buy key items but they are also your only way of saving the game so you have to be extra careful. I really like this aspect of the game because you have to put effort into the puzzle rooms that have traps and avoid the enemies as best as possible.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed playing the game and loved that there are multiple endings that you can trigger which means that the decisions you make actually have an impact which is missing from a lot of decision based games. The puzzles were enjoyable but not overly hard to solve and the use of the enemies to create tension was perfect.
GameCritUK 