Most games treat darkness as a threat, but in this melancholy puzzle game shadows shed light on perplexing spatial puzzles.
You play Obe, an old man equipped with a mystical lantern that can change and morph each maze-like level. Activating switches causes objects to slide and move, altering the location of the world's shadows to reveal previously unseen paths – and dangers.
Obe eventually has to coax other characters into pressing buttons and switches, too. Within a few levels, you’ll have to pause and think hard about how to create the light patterns that'll open the way forward. But you won’t be stuck in the dark for long – Where Shadows Slumber is filled with ‘aha!’ moments where the solution suddenly dawns on you. It’s satisfying stuff.
With an evocative animation style and stark use of colour, Where Shadows Slumber paints a dreary, beautiful picture. A strange, rhythmic soundtrack amps up the tension, while brief, menacing cutscenes featuring mean-spirited beasts give glimpses into the game’s unsettling narrative. Where is Obe heading exactly?
Where the story is deliberately ambiguous, Where Shadows Slumber’s unique, shadow-manipulating mechanic shines through clear as day. Step into the light, dear reader.