Have you played this game?You can rate this game, record that you've played it, or put it on your wish list after you log in. |
Solkatt_ (english version)by BenyDanette2023 Horror Decker
|
(based on 6 ratings)
2 reviews — 10 members have played this game. It's on 4 wishlists.
Solkatt (n.)
Pronunciation : sole-cat
Meaning : the spot of light from sunlight reflecting off a shiny surface.
December 2023 - Game created on Decker by BenyDanette - submitted to ShuffleComp 2023, SeedComp! 2023 and Deck-Month.
(Also available in a French version.)
Winner - tie, Best Overall; Winner, Best UI/Visual; Entrant, All Games - SeedComp! - 2024
5th Place, Game Goodness; 5th Place, Use of songs - ShuffleComp 2023
1st Place, Best Use of Interactivity; 1st Place (tie), Best in Show - The IF Short Games Showcase 2023
| Average Rating: based on 6 ratings Number of Reviews Written by IFDB Members: 2 Write a review |
Made in Decker, this point-and-click game follows Linus (you), a young adult still living with her parents in what seems to be a Scandinavian Arctic town. Linus has not had the easiest of time, being a shadow of her brother, unsupported by her family, and having gone through a breakup. In this cold afternoon, you explore Linus’s home, looking first for a bite to eat, rummaging around and reminiscing about life.
With its low-bit and dithered aesthetic, the game falls deep into weirdcore when you hear a strange noise. The pixelled background sound and flipped palette renders the already melancholic-to-depressing atmosphere to a legit skin-crawling creepy one. I don’t know whether Linus was having some sort of out-of-body episode or some otherworldly beings were at play. I don’t think an answer is needed to enjoy the game however.
The entry used all songs, and explicitly indicated where those bits can be found in the game on the game page and the credits. Each song has been used in different ways, from taking snippets of the respective music video, displaying lyrics on the screen, to using it as an inspiration for the setting and story. It is a nice blend.
You're a 26-year-old NEET who starts hearing strange music in the house where you've been living depressed and friendless for many years. Shortly after, you find a lens that lets you see messages from extradimensional entities when you look through it. Things progress from there...
Absolutely love the surreal, disturbing atmosphere. Was a bit disappointed that the nameless entities you encounter basically boil down to (Spoiler - click to show)'things that kill everyone' in the end, though. I wanted something weirder to happen, and that was a letdown. Oh well.
Despite the disappointment of the ending, there's a lot of stuff in this game to be stunned by and incredible detail put into things. Besides the odd lens, there's also the black-and-white music video on the computer, the interactive fridge magnets, the interactive Walkman, the interactive piano... Loads of cool point-and-click interactivity here. Then there's the writing itself - the person you play as, Linus, has a wry sense of despair. Their (his?) "yeah whatever" response to all the weird stuff that happens really sells the vibe. And the writing's great. Lots of pithy, darkly ironic one-liners.
Excerpts:
- On a waste bin in the laundry room: "It's a graveyard for socks with holes in them and socks that have lost their twins. It's a good thing we don't treat humans the same way."
- On entering the kitchen: "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach him to fish, and he'll eat for the rest of his life. Give him a fridge, he'll become sedentary, forget his survival instinct, and be satisfied eating parmersan straight from the package."
- On coloring books: "These are my old coloring books. My mother kept them all, because she thought it was impressive that I managed to stay within the frame when coloring. My only talent: I never go overboard."
- On a window: "The glass has been fitted for over a year, but the frame has never been installed. It's a window that can't be opened. Just like my life."
If any of that resonates with you, go do yourself a favor and play this game!
Playtime: ~20 minutes
[Review initially written January 2024, edited April 2024]
The dark, the bleak, and the tragic by OverThinking
Send me your downers, your bummers, your wretched games that leave the player feeling like they've been kicked in the teeth.
Outstanding Decker Game of 2023 by MathBrush
This poll is part of the 2023 IFDB Awards. The rules for the competition can be found here, and a list of all categories can be found here. This award is for the best Decker game of 2023. Voting is open to all IFDB members. Eligible...