SCHiM Reviews
Schim is cute, charming, and has a surprisingly emotional look into the themes of depression and midlife crisis. Perhaps it could dig deeper into its arguments, and maybe even dare a bit more with its gamepaly. Similarly, with a length of only about 3 hours and limited replayability, the launch price of 24.99USD/24,99EUR feels a little excessive, and I would absolutely recommend waiting for a sale. But when that sale does arrive, give Schim your consideration: it’s a quite beautiful little game with an intriguing concept and even a good message to give to its players.
The theme of this review is clear. SCHiM is a simple game, which makes it not only enjoyable to play but also accessible to everyone. You jump from shadow to shadow with your Schim, meaning you need to make good use of your environment. For example, you can be transported to different places via animals and people. The color schemes are beautifully chosen, ensuring everything is immediately clear. As a Dutch person, you'll also recognize some environments since the game is set in our own country. Not all levels are the same length, as they are tied to the story, which has a nice ending. If you want more of a challenge, after completing the game, you can tackle the extra difficulty options or try to collect all the collectibles in a level. These relate to the story within the world, and helping the little Schimmen feels good. It’s a small moment of joy before you continue playing. However, the lack of a free camera can make it difficult to find them at times.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
SCHiM captivates players with its unique art style and simple yet engaging gameplay, where you guide a shadow creature through various challenges in a visually striking world. The game successfully combines emotional storytelling with inventive level design, offering a memorable experience despite occasional accessibility issues and minor gameplay setbacks.
Despite its good intentions and the welcome reflection it promotes, SCHiM ends up not standing out as a game due to fundamental flaws, such as the problems with the camera and its simple mechanics, which unfortunately prove repetitive in a short time. Still, if you are looking for a cozy journey with a notable artistic atmosphere, it is worth remembering that one of the wonders of art as a human expression is that it is, above all, subjective. With this in mind, this essay on life does not deserve to be completely relegated to the shadows — in fact, the truth is that if there is one thing I have learned from this review, it is that the shadows are more welcoming than they appear.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Splashing through SCHiM's stunning levels, watching its simple, but effective and human story, and absorbing its promising and ingenious elements, I believed that I would find in this indie an experience to praise and rub in the faces of friends and readers at every imaginable opportunity. And I would have found it, if I hadn't reached the credits without finding the glue that would bind all these components together: inventive and structured level segments, capable of squeezing exciting puzzles and platforming challenges from all these pieces, and preventing the gameplay from becoming an automatic and, occasionally, boring process.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
SCHiM is a sweet little platformer that takes a joyous childhood idea and turns it into a heartwarming story that’s engaging and enjoyable. It shows off some great silent storytelling that connects you to the main characters by way of a great introduction and finale, despite losing some steam in the middle. SCHiM showcases an undoubtedly wonderful mechanic against some striking backdrops, and while it doesn’t quite get into high gear, there can be no denying that this shadowy hop-fest is great fun, and that some of the finer details will certainly bring a smile to your face.
A good idea and a good concept that get lost in repetitive levels and a tiring structure, even for a platform game.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
I like the concept behind SCHiM and the artistic direction, but certain elements of it frustrated me.
In a way, SCHiM manages to transport us to a time when the simple act of jumping over tiles, lines and shadows on the floor turned into epic adventures in the fertile world of a child's imagination.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
SCHiM is a relaxing and artistic little game. With a clever take on platform puzzles, a cute little shadow frog, and a surprisingly heart-wrenching story, this charming title is sure to find a cozy spot in the pond you call your Steam library.
Ewoud and Nils have crafted a special little game that has brought this writer right back to his childhood, when I'd find ways to gamify the world around me. I find myself glancing at the shadows in my world, wondering about the path I could craft to get from one end of the park to the other, because of this game. And any game that carries a feeling or a new perspective into your reality is a great one. SCHiM is a throwback to childhood joy: a reminder that tapping into your imagination and letting yourself experience the beauty of the world around you is necessary for surviving the otherwise draining experience of being an adult in the modern world. It's simple, it's short, it's sweet. And it's one I wholly recommend for gamers of all ages.
SCHiM is certainly not a game like the others. While it offers a rather simple platform experience, its artistic direction sets it apart from the competition. The title remains accessible, with some sequences that require a little more brain-teasing. Jumping from shadow to shadow is utterly enjoyable. The fairly short straight-line adventure (3h) is sufficient, however, as towards the end you feel you have to repeat the same actions over and over again. Nevertheless, in my opinion, it's a must-do experience if you're looking for something refreshing.
Review in French | Read full review
SCHiM is a wonderful puzzle-platforming experience that kept me mesmerised with its creative level design and satisfying gameplay. It felt so rewarding working out the perfect route to take through a level, whilst the clever variety of ways that it allows you to move between shadows ensures that each level brings with it plenty of little surprises. It was just a real treat to play, with the delightful world and clever gameplay loop ensuring my time with SCHiM will stick with me for a long, long time.
SCHiM is worth jumping at. It’s approachable for most players and unearths a deeper story about life’s unexpected lows and highs.
SCHiM is the perfect recreation of one of our childhood games. With fun and challenging gameplay, unique and minimalistic art style, and a relatable and touching story that empowers every other aspect of the game, it's a platformer that stands out among its peers.
SCHiM is gorgeous to look at with a very unique artstyle supported by a very chill soundtrack. Sure, the gameplay loop gets old as it doesn't really evolve past the initial concept, but it's still quite fun to play in short bursts.
SCHiM is unlike any platformer I've ever played, telling a genuinely moving story, with tight and clever platforming. It's also gorgeous, as every level is beautifully put together.
Jumping from shadow to shadow, SCHiM's platform ends up being washed out and superficial, less alive and stimulating than it could.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
SCHiM is truly a fascinating game concept that seamlessly blends platforming, exploration, and puzzles to deliver an incredibly engaging and thought-provoking experience. The way it intertwines these elements creates a captivating and immersive world for players to get lost in. You can expect to be challenged and entertained in equal measure as you navigate through this unique and innovative game. The only thing that knocks it down a rating for me is purely the frequent crashes I experienced.