Overview – developed and published by Kristina Springer, Softie is a creepy but cute point-and-click adventure, about a little bear on a big adventure. In this adorable horror experience, guide the cuddly bear Softie to find their owner, exploring a mysterious and sinister house. This title is available exclusively for the PC, with a link to the game on steam at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank the rep who provided the copy of Softie that was used for this piece, via the Keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review. The plot overview is relatively brief, so I will be combining it with the gameplay section. I will also be light on some details as I don’t want to spoil this rather short experience.
Gameplay – Softie is a relatively short horror adventure, where the player controls Softie, a teddy bear that comes to life in a dusty attic. This little bear has one objective, find his person and reunite with them. After interacting with the residents of the attic, softie finds himself in a cosy but unusual home filled with odd characters. As the player navigates the home, they will be able to engage with the residents of the home, collecting items and solving puzzles.
As softie makes their way through the home, there will be unexpected challenges to overcome. These include solving a diorama puzzle, helping a magnet man on the fridge and rebuilding a robot dog. In order to complete the different tasks, Softie has an inventory where objects that are collected can be found. The different items that are collected will be needed to solve puzzles. Once an item is used, it will disappear from Softie’s possession.
While wandering the house, speaking to residents and examining objects can give clues on how to proceed. If a roadblock occurs, the little bear can also push objects, moving them out of the way and opening a new path. Completing these tasks will open up new areas, allowing new places to be explored. However, as the player makes their way through the house, things aren’t as they seem with dangers lurking that can prevent softie from his reunion.
The player will encounter dangerous traps, like a cowboy with an itchy trigger finger. But there will also be odd creatures that call this place home, like a dog with the head of a Chihuahua sewn to it and robot sentries. These cybernetic security bots will float around, with human faces attached to them. If they spot the little bear, they will give chase and explode to kill him. In situations like this, Softie can play dead, avoiding the things that could stop his journey.
In some areas, the player will be chased or in a position where they have to keep moving. These segments can be tense and put a lot of pressure on the player, but thankfully, there is a very generous checkpoint system. This saves progress whenever a task is completed or a room is entered. Last to mention are the hidden buttons, scattered throughout the house. There are 9 of these little things around for softie to find.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – the entirety of Softie is controlled by the mouse, allowing players to move the little bear and interact with the world with ease. This system works well, giving the game an easy to pick up and play feel. To be aid the player in knowing what to do, the hand cursor will indicate what players can interact with. The action input is on the left mouse button and play dead on the right, allowing ease of use for players of all capabilities.
Difficulty – there isn’t a great deal of true difficulty with this title, as a point-and-click adventure. The real challenges come from the slightly cryptic puzzles, which can be a little confusing for players. It can be difficult to navigate some of the danger zones, alongside traps that can kill the player with ease. Luckily the game will create checkpoints after every action, puzzle completion and when entering rooms, making failure feel less punishing.
Presentation – there is a very distinct hand drawn style to the artwork for this adventure, inspired by the early 2000’s. This is shown by the various toys in the home, like references to Teksta the Robotic Puppy (Tekno in North America) and Furby dolls. These elements give the game a cutesy feel, which masks the sinister elements of the environment. The sound adds to the atmosphere well, with soft gentle music, that is cut through by more unsettling sound in areas.
Final Thoughts – when I saw Softie, I was intrigued by the concept and story, which made this title stand out to me. The aesthetic , look and environment is deceiving at the start, making it seem cute and cosy, but as the adventure progresses things take a sinister turn. This helps elevate the experience, giving players a unique horror adventure. The run time may be relatively brief, but there is a lot of enjoyment that players can get from it.
I had a good time playing this game, exploring the different areas, solving puzzles and interacting with the unusual characters. The experience is well crafted, with a solid story that really pulled at me, making me want to see the end. I am happy to recommend this release, as it is easy to play and accessible to all players, regardless of capability and hardware available. The price point is also very low, especially for the quality of experience on offer.
In the end, I give Softie a final score of 5/5. This is a short but satisfying horror adventure, which makes maximum use of the point-and-click style of gameplay. The atmosphere is crafted extremely well, enhanced by the settings characters and music, with all elements coming together to make an unsettling horror experience. If you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to the game will be below.
Link to Steam version (HERE)
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