SCHiM might be the most original platform game of the year

Modern life is far too fast and erratic. We wake, commute, work, eat, sleep, occasionally sit in a beer garden, and repeat. We grimace at the daily newspapers, track our calories and file our taxes. Life can be hard but it’s also littered with moments of joy, and that’s what SCHiM is all about.

Much like Batman, SCHiM is all about hiding in the shadows. But, unlike Batman, pretty much everything else. SCHiM is an adorably cute and whimsical (without being cringe) platformer where you navigate a minimal world as a bouncing blob. Exactly why we’re leaping from shadow to shadow like a dark Flubber isn’t quite explained, but SCHiM is about more than hiding in the shadows.

Life in the shadows

In SCHiM – a Dutch expression for ‘shadow’ – you follow the life of a boy who experiences the care-free enthusiasm of youth, enters his high school years, experiences first loves and losses, and enters the grind of modern adulthood. In that, SCHiM is an enchanting coming of age tale in the vein of Little Miss Sunshine or Juno. It shows the bittersweet moments we all experience as we traverse the decades, and the shadows we leave behind.

As a game, SCHiM makes for a melancholic, almost meditative experience. Each level is its own puzzle which tasks us with getting from A to B using only shadows. Much like Untitled Goose Game, there’s great enjoyment to be found in exploring these simple, everyday environments.

The world of SCHiM is beautifully mundane yet rarely boring. It’s a world that’s both minimal, yet rich with beautifully crafted animation and colour. There’s simple bliss and gutting heartbreak to be found in each short level in SCHiM, which perfectly encapsulates the conflicting nature of modern life. This is all soundtracked by a lo-fi soundtrack which ebbs and flows with the game’s narrative.

SCHiM isn’t a game that’s going to be everybody’s cup of tea. Some may find the gameplay repetitive at times, while others may simply find SCHiM too slow paced. But don’t be deterred by a perceived lack of action. For me, that’s the whole point of SCHiM. It’s a lesson in life, with all its ups and downs.

• Find SCHiM on Steam here

Jack Needham

About

A writer of seven years and serial FIFA 23 loser, Jack is also Features Editor at Stuff. Jack has written extensively about the world of tech, business, science and online culture. He also covers gaming, but is much better at writing about it than actually playing. Jack keeps the site rolling with extensive features and analysis.