Review | SCHiM

To answer the first question that came to my mind when I heard of this game – Yes, the word Schim does translate and mean something other than looking peculiar. Schim is the Dutch word for “shadow”, which is genius, considering the origin and theme of the gameplay. Everything and everyone has a schim, and they must never be separated from what they are bound. SCHiM is all about playing as an innocent schim who unexpectedly lost touch with its human counterpart and needs to venture far and wide to reconnect with them before it’s too late. SCHiM is all about using shadows efficiently in an interactive, relaxed environment to make progress towards your ever-changing goal, as your human is always on the move! Developed by Ewoud van der Werf/Nils Slijkerman and published by Extra Nice, SCHiM is a truly unique title that utilises platforming in a fun format. If you would like to learn more, read on to see how I got on with SCHiM.

Things I Liked!

• Platforming journey | SCHiM is a relaxing platformer with a sweet story to follow. SCHiM uses a distinctive gameplay mechanic of “Shadow jumping”, which means exactly what it says. You must traverse 65 levels of shadows, varying in length and context, all to connect back to your human. I adored following my humans’ footsteps and seeing all the different events which happened in their lives, allowing players to interpret scenes in their own way. In such a subtle setting, seeing a child grow up to a fully-grown adult allowed me to form an unusual connection, experiencing their highs and lows. The platforming gameplay explores extensive environments and implements quirky ways to get around: Using the shadows of moving cars, people, animals, along with static objects, to name a few of many. SCHiM certainly shines with these features and was a memorable game to go through.

• Achievement challenges | When it comes to the achievement list for SCHiM, there are a few different types of achievements: Story-related, miscellaneous, collectables, and some which will require your schim to put in some extra work. The first three categories are straightforward with exploration, but the final one is where things get a little more challenging. The completion of SCHiM includes three separate challenges: Complete each level without using respawns, complete the game with “Extra jump” turned off, and complete the game with “Risky mode” turned on. These are completely optional, and I’m not one for challenges usually, but I think these are great for those who want that extra level of difficulty to contend with for an extra feeling of accomplishment. Plus, replayability value is always a bonus!

• Sound design | SCHiM incorporates cute sound effects with a cosy soundtrack to create a relaxed gaming experience, allowing players to feel at ease. The audio for SCHiM has been designed by Moonsailor, who has created a beautiful and expressive audio experience, which made me feel like I was playing the game on cloud nine, with very little care in the world other than that of making sure my schim got to its human.  The sound effects give SCHiM a little more depth, providing each interactable object with its own unique sound. I loved hearing my schim jumping around into the shadows, almost as if they were using infinite bouncy castles. Overall, simplistic but effective.

• Visuals and animation | For an indie platformer, the developers of SCHiM have done a marvellous job with the visual details and various animations throughout the game’s levels. One colour will often wash over the entire screen with fine black lines creating the details of each level, and the occasional extra hint of another colour to emphasise the final location of each level and key objects. Animations are smooth throughout, making the gameplay smooth to engage with. The schim itself jumps flawlessly amongst the shadows, but requires precision to avoid being reset back to a previous checkpoint. Later in my review, I talk about the issues I had with the visuals. Regardless, the minimalistic visuals and attention to detail were something I won’t forget in a hurry.

Mixed & Disliked!

• Colour scheme | The visual appearance of SCHiM was certainly bold, bright, and impossible not to notice. It uses high-contrast colours with varying saturation to create environmental details, which is clever, but certain colours can be a little hard on the eyes. High saturation red, blue, and green were the main colours I struggled with, but orange, purple, and cream colours were the ones I found easier to adjust to. Although I can appreciate that SCHiM has been created with these unforgettable visuals, a few accessibility options to make colours easier on the eyes would have been very much appreciated. Perhaps some options for colour blindness, low saturation mode, or something that allows you to change the levels’ colour scheme? Just a few choices to make SCHiM more user-friendly.

• Repetitive gameplay | A simple gameplay loop was both a strength and a weakness when it came to playing SCHiM. As mentioned previously in the review, SCHiM is all about jumping to and from shadows, but that is basically it. Yes, there are collectables to find in numerous levels, but other than this, the game itself does become extremely repetitive. Although there are some small objects in the world which can assist you along your journey, implementing some additional gameplay mechanics could have given SCHiM more variety while keeping the complexity at a minimum. It’s a fantastic indie platformer, but it should have strived to be exceptional.

How long did I play the review before publishing? Approximately 5 Hours
How long to beat the story? Approximately 3-4 Hours
How long to complete the game 100%? Approximately 15-20 Hours
How many achievements did I earn before publishing? | 17/24 (460/1000G)
You’ll love this game if you like these | Casual Platformers with Puzzle Elements (Planet of Lana, Jusant, Neva)

Conclusion

Score: 70/100

SCHiM is not like any platformer I’ve ever played, combining a unique gameplay mechanic with striking visuals, restful audio, and a small story everyone can interpret differently. The game may become a little repetitive, and the high-contrast visuals did become a hindrance, but I still had a fantastic time playing with my schim while getting up to all sorts of mischief along the way.