SCHiM

Every so often I'll pick up a random game that goes on sale, and SCHiM is one of those. Upon hearing that this was a very quick play, I decided to give it a boost on the backlog - and I'm glad that I did. SCHiM follows the story of a shadow who loses it's human, and proceeds to chase him down in a heavily stylized depiction of the Netherlands. Being that you are a shadow, you can only jump between other shadows, putting this in the platforming genre. There is no dialogue, and the game is simple, with only a three actions, jump, move or interact. Despite this, the game introduces new mechanics through the different shadows you occupy, and how you interact with their accompanying object. The soundtrack is very charming, and complements the style, art and gameplay very well. I found myself chasing the satisfying "plop" sound that marked the end of a level. Although quite shallow, SCHiM is a worthwhile game with a very strong and cohesive presentation.

Play it for the:

• Stylistic Frogger-esque gameplay
• Dutch level design
• Cohesive presentation

Reviewed on 2025-3-13