Softie is a short, solo point-and-click horror adventure game where you play as a lost teddy bear searching for its owner within a strange house filled with oddball characters. Is Softie a bear-able adventure or a nightmare you’ll want to paw-ss on? Read on to find out!
Tugging at Threads
Softie uses traditional point-and-click mechanics where you explore environments, interact with objects, and solve puzzles to progress the story. What surprised me was that there are also some chase sequences, where you can actually die!
Despite first impressions, the grim atmosphere immediately weighs heavy on you as you begin to explore Softie. There are several rooms to explore and within those rooms, several puzzles to solve. There are indeed other characters whom you can interact with, but the problem is that they’re not much help and potentially could even pose a threat more than anything!
As such, you are required to think outside of the (toy) box in order to progress, which adds a nice layer of difficulty over a pleasantly-adorable interface.
Some will see similarities between Softie and Little Nightmares, especially around the theme (albeit with a cuter aesthetic laid over the top).
Sound and Fuzz
Softie features hand-drawn environments inspired by early 2000s toys and trinkets. The graphics have a unique “cute-creepy” style as well as an original soundtrack to nicely accompany the visuals.
The Final Stitch
Softie is a short horror adventure game with a unique premise and a blend of “cute” and creepy aesthetics. The point-and-click gameplay incorporates chase sequences for an added layer of action. While the story is brief and explores dark themes, the visuals maintain a childlike charm whilst the puzzles keep things interesting. Overall Softie is a solid entry in the point-and-click genre!
Pros
- Unique “cute-creepy” art style.
- Blend of point-and-click adventure and chase sequences.
- Short playtime suitable for casual gamers.
Cons
- Limited replay value due to short length and linear story.