SCHiM - Switch Review

SCHiM follows the story of a man, starting from a young age, going through the struggles of school and university, and then leading to the struggles of adulthood. Throughout his life, our frog character accompanies him, lurking in his shadows, but it’s after the walk home after what may have been the worst day of his life that the shadow frog is separated from his human, thus leading to a journey to find and reconnect.

The Good

It really goes without saying that the primary mechanic of SCHiM is so wonderfully clever! As the shadow frog, you can only traverse through the shadows, leaping from one to the next in order to reach your objective. Some shadows are quite thin, but if you land outside of one, you are able to flop your way over to one with just a single mini jump; if you are unsuccessful, you are immediately brought back to the shadow prior. This platforming mechanic feels wonderfully tactile, and each new area has its own quirks with how the shadows move—almost reminiscent of Frogger itself.

The music is delightfully calming, providing almost elevator-style tunes over a clever aesthetic. There is also no dialogue whatsoever, rather, each interaction is told through physical re-enactment and body language. The music also does a wonderful job at not overshadowing (pun not intended) the striking visuals, with a minimalist colour presentation that shows more than it tells. Its approach to its visual style not only does what it needs to do, but it helps to accentuate the shadows and the game’s concept as a whole.

TL;DR

• Clever platforming hook
• Charming visuals and audio

The Bad

Some of the platforming puzzles aren’t exactly intuitive for the player, and this is especially noticeable when the action button feels somewhat unresponsive. The lack of UI is clearly a design choice, and I can respect that, but having an icon come up to encourage players to press a button to interact with objects could have certainly assisted the player when they’re at a bit of a loss.

The hint system can also be a tad obtuse, resulting in more of a hindrance than a helpful guide. By holding down the ZR trigger, the camera will move in the direction you need to go; there was one particular level that had you turning on and off traffic lights in order to hitch a ride from the vehicles, but for the life of me, the hint system just didn’t want to cooperate. I wouldn’t say I’m bad at puzzle games, but I’m not a puzzle whiz either, and the hint system kept suggesting the middle of the intersection… What was I supposed to do with that kind of information?! In the end, I fumbled around aimlessly for about 15 minutes until I jumped into the shadow of a random car and that triggered something to get me to where I was supposed to be. I didn’t feel accomplished by the end of it, just relief that it was over.

TL;DR

• Occasionally obtuse puzzle design
• Unhelpful hint system

Final Score: 8/10

At the end of it all, I’ll look back on SCHiM fondly—not for its puzzles, but for its satisfying shadow platforming and unique presentation. I’m happy to have been given the chance to experience it, but once the credits roll, I can’t see myself ever wanting to go back to it. It’s a quick, one-and-done romp that’ll have you smiling for the majority of its time, and rolling your eyes in frustration in between.

Thank you for checking out our SCHiM Switch review, thank you to Extra Nice (via Pirate PR) for providing the review code and thank you to our Patreon Backers for their ongoing support:

• Andrew Caluzzi (Inca Studios / Camped Out)
• Bel Cubitt
• Bobby Jack
• Jack Caven
• NintenVania Podcast
• RedHero