Just like the gameplay, this review will be short, but as they say, good things come in small packages, and Softie epitomises such a term. The very first development and publication for Kristina Springer is an interesting first foray into the gaming industry, and I am interested in what the following steps for Kristina Springer will be.

You play as Softie, a teddy bear who awakens in a creepy house. With fond memories of an owner, Softie wants to be reunited with her, and thus, embarks on a journey to find her. During this journey, Softie will encounter other toys and situations ranging from weird and wonderful to creepy, macabre, and bizarre.

As a point-and-click adventure, you only need to click the mouse to move, pick up and use items, and to interact with other toys and environmental locations or set pieces. The gameplay is simple, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your point of view, but I found elegance in its simplicity. It puts more focus on the development of the unfolding story as you search for your owner.

The story is very short, only taking me 74 minutes to complete, and that’s in consideration of notetaking as I played. An average player could complete this in as little as an hour, but with such a small playtime it should be noted that this game is only 3AUD, so if an hour of your time is worth 3AUD, and you enjoy creepy point-and-click adventures, you should look this one up and see if it grabs your attention.

Some of the puzzles I found obscure, but one could argue, what point-and-click adventure doesn’t have obscure puzzles? Ultimately, nothing was as frustrating as the point of snapping a keyboard in half, allowing you to brute force with trial and error. Once over the mild hurdle that may have left you perplexed, you will soon be back on track unravelling the mystery of your missing owner.

Softie is presented fully in beautiful hand-drawn art, with many individual characters taking inspiration from toys in the 2000s, giving those who grew up with these toys a nostalgic experience. The creepy overtones with their cuteness will also have you feeling uneasy, further adding to the creepiness of the storyline.

There is no voice acting, so all dialogue is presented in written format, but these are few and short. Sound effects are serviceable to the game’s needs, however, the music is fundamental to finalising the creepy theme.

The soundtrack elicits a weird feeling of calm and unease, primarily sounding like the tunes from a child’s mobile or jewellery box – the kind that sounds sweet and innocent but becomes awfully creepy when it’s dark and silent, before invoking feelings of stress and anxiety during chase scenes and disturbing imagery when it switches out to synthetic tunes.

Though Softie is short, it brings simple gameplay, a creepy setting and storyline, and meaningful music. Kristina Springer has my attention, and I’m interested in seeing what other games will be added to the catalogue in the future.

Written by: Ashley Barnett-Cosgrove