REVIEW / SCHiM (PC)

Life is hard, but its not too bad when you’re a little shadow frog. In SCHiM (being the German word for ghost or shadow), you will bounce around through uniquely renderer dioramas of a typical suburban city. With over 60 levels to explore, the game is packed with unexpected whimsy and charm.

A Life of Light and Cute Shadows

SCHiM begins with you being attached and in control of a little boy. The world is populated by your standard fare of folk, without the ability to talk, so cinematic sequences involve a lot of entertaining pantomime and imagination. We watch as our little human walks through the early stages of life, to the turbulence of adolescence, into the rigors of adulthood. SCHiM stages itself as a quaint romp through these picturesque snapshots of ordinary life, and you get to explore them from the shadows, literally.

Our twist arrives when on another typical day, our human takes a terrible tumble. In that moment, we are separated from our human, ripped away from our home shadow. And our human…doesn’t notice anything is wrong and continues on their way. Suddenly the gameplay transforms into a never-ending chase to reunite with someone that is always two steps ahead of us.

Hop Town

The gameplay now become a flavor of puzzle platform not common amongst its kind. Almost every single object casts a dynamic shadow, so to reach your human you must find a path by utilizing those shadows. The loop of jumping from shadow to shadow is sweet and satisfying with juicy sound effects and great motion control.

Every single object has interaction, whether it be turning on a light, or flinging you across the street, or simply spitting out endless amounts of trash. Every single object feels intentional and is begging to be poked and prodded endlessly. The experience of springing from an umbrella or slinging myself from a spinning office chair never failed to bring levity.

The downfall, depending on how you look at it, is that you will be doing this a lot. The game has over 60 levels, all with lengths varying between less than a minute, to over 5 minutes of dedicated puzzle platforming and exploration. The core gameplay does not evolve much, which can make the pattern start to feel boring.

With this pacing in mind, I found it best to simply play at a relaxed march, and if I started to get lethargic, just put it down and come back later. There are hidden collectables in many of the levels which can add longevity and flavor to your experience, but they have no other impact on the gameplay. Some of the stages are very similar which can emphasize the monotony.

A Delightful Diorama

However it is not to be understated, SCHiM is an absolute gem of technical design and aesthetic flair. The art style and soundtrack blend together in perfect harmony for a truly tranquil atmosphere. Best enjoyed with a warm cup of tea or hot chocolate, the colors are evocative and striking, lending SCHiM a unique brand. It truly feels like you are traversing a lively diorama.

And if you so desire, you can easily change the colors for any level within the game’s menu. I personally never felt the need to venture beyond the default, but it is a fabulous feature nonetheless. The menu design itself also deserves praise for sticking with the theme and delivering delightful navigation.

Final Thoughts

Despite some repetitive levels, SCHiM is a lovingly constructed, high tier piece of art. It is a joy to hop, skip and meddle with the world and its inhabitants. Every single level has a story to tell and a puzzle to solve. Even after beating it, I could easily see making it a part of my regular routine when I just want to chill out.

If you like the sound of splashing through shadows with cozy atmospheric accompaniment, you can purchase SCHiM now on Steam, XboxOne/Series X|S, PlayStation 4/5, and Nintendo Switch!

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.