SCHiM

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• DEVELOPER: Ewoud van der Werf, Nils Slijkerman
• PUBLISHER: Extra Nice, PLAYISM
• PLATFORMS: PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• GENRE: 3D Platformer
• RELEASE DATE: July 18, 2024
• STARTING PRICE: 24.99€
• REVIEWED VERSION: PC

Platformers always bring something new, whether through an interesting concept, gameplay, or another aspect. SCHiM combines several intriguing elements into a unique game where you jump from shadow to shadow through a picturesque and colorful world. You could call it an adventure offering a fresh perspective, but unfortunately, the execution falls short. While SCHiM looks interesting and offers something unique, most of the time you’ll be left wondering: how much longer?

This 3D platformer comes from Ewoud van der Werf and Nils Slijkerman, who embarked on an ambitious project. We also had the chance to play an early demo, which showed that the game is genuinely not difficult to play, a feature that carries over into the full version. SCHiM provides a short and relaxing experience that won’t frustrate or take up too much of your time. However, the game suffers from repetitive mechanics.

Beautiful Graphics and an Interesting Concept

Perhaps the best part of this game is its tutorial, composed of a series of vignette-style scenes. You start in the shadow of a child on a tricycle, and as the child grows, you learn to navigate the world. These scenes are beautifully crafted, illustrating the journey from the innocence of childhood to the stress of adult life. You are literally a frog in the shadow, or more accurately, a soul that accidentally separates from its owner, with the mission to reunite with them. Simple, right? Most of the time, various cutscenes show where your owner is while you try to catch up, and your environment constantly changes.

This quest carries the game through 65 levels of varying lengths. The main gameplay mechanic is often simple, focusing on jumping even more than in typical platformers. If you land slightly outside a shadow, you can correct it with a small extra jump, but if you happen to end up in the sun, you are quickly reset to the last relevant shadow. Interacting with shadows also allows you to manipulate the environment, such as turning off traffic lights, lowering barricades, and even operating forklifts.

These small interactions highlight the game’s creativity and the joy of exploring its dark world. Levels are diverse, ranging from busy intersections to quiet gardens and beaches, offering new opportunities for shadow manipulation, each environment presents a unique challenge. While the story may not be as emotionally charged as the beginning suggests, the variety of environments keeps the game engaging. It’s genuinely exciting to see what the game will offer next, what colors will appear, and whether the environment will be dark or vibrant. This aspect of the game is beautifully executed.

Little Variation in Levels

Many levels, however, boil down to simply jumping to the end and often give the impression they are more for relaxation. There isn’t much difference between levels; sometimes you’ll use objects to catapult yourself into the air or stop pedestrians, while later levels involve manipulating light, waiting for lamps to turn on or off to reach another section. Don’t get me wrong, the levels differ visually, but the way you traverse them is practically the same.

Additionally, to successfully complete a level, you often need to rotate the camera to see what’s around corners. Personally, I didn’t enjoy this aspect, as the camera frequently moved in awkward ways, and your view would be blocked by buildings or other objects. As a result, you’d have to adjust the camera several times to find the ideal angle. Despite this, it’s hard to deny the strength of the game’s presentation, with a consistent set of beautiful color choices and level transitions that smoothly use minimalist animation. The music is also one of the game’s biggest highlights and truly memorable.

The core platforming mechanics are fluid and responsive, which is crucial. This made me wonder why there isn’t a leaderboard showing how long it takes to complete each level. Your “shim” moves very smoothly, allowing you to maintain momentum through a series of quick jumps. Each jump offers a satisfying level of control, and the splash sound when entering or leaving shadows further enhances this enjoyment.

Final Thoughts

However, you shouldn’t underestimate this game. It’s clear that a lot of love and effort went into its development, as it’s impossible to create such a beautiful game without significant time investment. Attention has been paid to every detail, even if the gameplay isn’t perfectly executed. Despite this, SCHiM will undoubtedly win the hearts of many players, but don’t expect advanced or particularly challenging gameplay.

Completing SCHiM takes only a few hours, and in the end, you unlock a new mode with additional challenges. In this mode, you have a limited number of times you can be caught outside the shadow, and you can also reduce the number of jumps allowed outside shadows to just one. Ultimately, SCHiM doesn’t deliver an experience that will overly excite you, but if you’re looking for something casual and stress-free, it’s a solid choice.

Review copy provided by the publisher