Children of Silentown is a hand-drawn, point-n-click, adventure game about a girl who grows up next to a forest that people keep disappearing into. Our brave adventurer seeks out the truth about the monsters and what happens to the people they take.
I cannot express how beautifully drawn this game is. The art style is *chef’s kiss*. I would happily buy this game to enjoy the art and nothing else.. which is lucky because unfortunately, that’s about the most it has to offer.
At 6 hours for my first playthrough, it’s not bad for the money. The game is much easier to progress than most point and click games (whether that’s a pro or con, I leave to you to decide) which allows you to enjoy the art without getting too frustrated. It is easy to miss the ‘stickers’ which you can collect throughout but aside from achievements, these don’t really do anything. The completionist in me remains perpetually unsatisfied, as a second playthrough is more time than I’m willing to commit.
The storyline is predictable and cliché but that’s easy to forgive with the low price tag and gorgeous aesthetic. Where Children of Silentown really lets itself down is the lack of humour. Plenty of opportunities for dark humour present themselves throughout the game but instead, the dialogue remains matter-of-fact. The characters have very basic, imported personality types – the golden girl, the bully, the outcast, the weirdo – and this all adds up to an underwhelming experience. It’s somewhat criminal when the game already has a mechanism to delve into the character’s memories, the perfect opportunity to expand. Instead of allowing this feature to shine, giving backstories and depth, you get a little animated picture for anyone not plot related.
Thankfully, the puzzles were pitched perfectly for difficulty. I enjoyed their uniqueness – stitching memories back together was a personal highlight although the cog turning did become a little repetitive over time. Overall, the puzzles were numerous, varied and got progressively harder while still being solvable. This saving grace does make the game vaguely interesting throughout, especially for those who enjoy the cosy game vibe.
All in all, I think it’s worth one playthrough to bask in their unique, eerie aesthetic. However, giving the game 4 different endings was, at best, optimistic.
| Criteria | Scores | Our Score |
|---|---|---|
| Artistic Achievement | 1-5 | 5 |
| Gameplay | 1-5 | 3 |
| Value/Cost | 1-5 | 4 |
| Controls | 1-5 | 5 |
| Length | 1-5 | 3 |
