TILT: CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs
Taking a look at CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs. It's an eerie folk tale mystery game that captures the same sort of autumnal vibes as Over the Garden Wall.
THINGS I LIKE THURSDAYVIDEO GAMESREVIEW
There are two main vibes for October: bloody scary horror or dark and eerie folk tales. Seeing as I love warm cider and watching Over the Garden Wall, I prefer the second type, which means I'm the perfect audience for CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs.
CARIMARA is a spooky first-person folk tale mystery that has you playing as a Carimara -- a mute goublin who investigates supernatural mysteries. Communicating with cards he discovers while exploring the haunted grounds of a beaten-down cottage in the woods, he uncovers clues to exorcise the ghost stuck in the basement.
The whole experience is very short, only taking me about 30 minutes to roll credits, but it is dark, gorgeous, and pointed. I won't spoil any of the narrative's details, but it packs an emotional punch that I wasn't expecting when I first booted it up. I think that's an effect of its disarmingly charming style. The whole game feels very retro with its warbling graphics, synthy sound effects, and slightly obtuse controls. Bastinus Rex, the solo developer of the game, really capitalizes on the style in a way that plants players firmly into this surreal, ever-shifting world of sorcerers and talking owls. And while the graphics are crunchy and polygonal, the facial animations manage a level of emotional depth that cleaved my heart in two. That old lady carries such expression beneath those dark wrinkles!
CARIMARA's sense of playful whimsy pairs perfectly with its unnerving character designs and rich sense of atmosphere. While the gameplay loop is simple -- explore, discover clues, discuss clues to learn secrets, and repeat -- it's easy to see how it could be expanded for bigger locations and more complex mysteries. Bastinus Rex seems excited to explore as well! In the game's credits, he expresses hope that the game is successful enough to continue CARIMARA's story. Given the love and care that's gone into this little folk tale, I hope he gets the chance to carry it on. I would happily search these haunted woods for hours, if given the chance.
CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs is available on Steam or itch.io. It's only $5, which is well worth it for such a short, focused, and beautiful game. If it isn't obvious, I really want Bastinus Rex to be able to continue this project. So give it a shot, or gift it to your favorite spooky friend on Steam!
The graphics are chunky but detailed and so so vibey.
Classic stop motion animation was an inspiration for Bastinus Rex, and you can really see that in the character's faces.
A quick little haunt
Stick around and read some more stuff!
Get in touch!
Contact me directly :)
joelatroutman@gmail.com
Or use this form thing!
