Shady Part of Me Reviews
While it may not be a very long game, Shady Part of Me is well worth the time playing through for both the interesting gameplay and aesthetic that surrounds what is a pretty somber story.
Shady Part of Me has a frustrating story and a terrible title, but it's a great little puzzle platformer with a very neat central mechanic.
Excellent gameplay, unique ideas, and a strong presentation make for an easily recommendable narrative puzzle platformer.
There’s something pretty delightful when you encounter games that you’ve never previously heard of that, once you begin playing them, grab you and demand your attention until they’re completed...
Making its first foray in the world of video games, the french studio Douze Dixi'mes gave birth to a great platformer, full of inventive puzzles and sweet narrative ideas. The art direction is flawless, especially the soundtrack - one of the most thrilling of the past months. In the end, this short but well-conducted journey surely will resonate in every gamer's heart.
Review in French | Read full review
In a beautiful mix between 2D e 3D, a little girl and her shadow show us the fragility of the human mind, between fears and anxiety. Along many psychological sessions, the two characters try to cooperate to solve a large number of puzzles based on light, shadows and gravity. A little gem.
Review in Italian | Read full review
If you’re after a new puzzle game to play, you’d be wise to consider Shady Part of Me, especially if you’re drawn to its moody aesthetic. Just be aware that it probably won’t hold your attention with a vice-like grip due to the repetitive nature of many of its puzzles. While it’s not a long game by any means, you’re more likely to enjoy it over numerous sittings, rather than being glued to the screen from beginning to end.
A Shady Part of Me is short and could be completed in an evening or two, so it’s much easier to digest what’s on offer before the simplicity of it wears you out. Overall, I would love to have seen more complexity in my time with it, or simply deeper twists on an already crowded genre. If not mechanically then emotionally. LIMBO and INSIDE were standouts not only because of the mechanics but the world-building and tension as well. Likewise, Braid was an homage that never squandered on difficulty. I hope that what comes next from this studio is a bit more daring than what came before it, as A Shady Part of Me inspires confidence.
Shady Part of Me is a decent puzzle platformer, which offers some inventive challenges and an overall polished presentation. That said, almost everything about the game, including its story, aesthetic, and core mechanics, are lifted wholesale from more memorable indie games like Braid, Limbo, Little Nightmares, and Contrast. Like a shadow cast upon your bedroom wall, Shady Part of Me may be fleetingly interesting, but it won't leave a lasting impression.
The story might be a bit too slow and ambiguous for some, especially when it comes to the ending, but Shady Part of Me is filled with clever puzzles that should appeal to fans of the puzzle-platformer genre.
Shady Part Of Me is a stunning indie platformer puzzler that is a treat for both the mind and the eyes. There are some gorgeously original puzzles, although there is perhaps an over reliance on the same type of "box shadow" puzzles throughout. That isn't to say there is any feeling of repetitiveness, and the mechanics are reliably satisfying that you'll always be up for the next puzzle. Shady Part Of Me demonstrates a lot of thoughtfulness and heart. Indeed this title is an excellent debut for the French developers.
Regarding what Shady Part of Me promises, the game is flawless. It has a cool story that is camouflaged between puzzles and dialogues and gradually introduces new mechanics to the gameplay. However, its short duration and the excessive ease of some parts are factors that may disappoint players looking for something more challenging and deep.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Like the characters in the game, Shady Part of Me is elegant, but troubled. At its core, the game is a well-designed puzzle game about a girl who has to cooperate with herself to overcome her mental health condition. Between this and the moody, melancholy aesthetic, the game hits home in all the right ways, which is why it's such a shame that the ending just doesn't stick the landing.
Shady Part of Me tells a compelling story of solitudine, resistance and self-consciousness. Douze Dixièmes' first game is a delicate one, a realistic portrait of a tribulated adolescence.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Despite its cryptic storytelling and repetitive gameplay, Shady Part of Me is a game that deserves to be played and experienced especially by puzzler fans.
Shady Part of Me is a game that puzzle platformer enthusiasts will most likely enjoy. But when all's said and done, it looks like this will stay in the shadows compared to the indies it takes ideas from. It's fun at the time, but ultimately forgettable.
Shady Part of Me abuses of black and white to create a powerful psychological journey filled with melancholy. Even though its main narrative sounds vague and confusing, the smart puzzles and the appropriate gameplay dynamics are enough to portray themes such as depression and anxiety in a concise and conscious way.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
On a final note, Shady Part of Me should have been on my Game of the Year list but with how late it was released, it sadly won’t be making it as I quite literally got to experience this tale this past weekend. It’s not a very long adventure, but it packs a punch both from the visuals and the musical score, to the emotions coming through both of your protagonists as they try to find the exit that they’ve been searching for together.
It pleases me to say that Shady Part of Me is one of the best surprises of the year so if you like indie puzzlers, you have to play this.
A story too abstract and gameplay too basic keep this puzzle-platformer lurking in the shadows.