NO-SKIN

[i]Successful experiment?[/i] "Horror" roguelite with very basic gameplay, full of mysteries to uncover and maybe the best [u]experimental[/u] storytelling I've ever seen adopted in a videogame. The game gives us lots of information to try and understand its story but at the same time, even with some effort, it's difficult to truly grasp all of its meaning. My opinion is that the developer wanted to leave some plot threads more open to interpretation than others, while still keeping the main story wrapped and hidden under several layers of cryptic content. There's no beating around the bush, NO-SKIN is strictly a game for players who love to delve deep into a rabbit hole, players who are willing to look past and endure repetitive gameplay just to read two new lines of text who could end up be fundamental and eye-opening in the whole scheme of things.

This rougelike has such positive reviews, and while it's interesting, has good horror themes and there are a lot of secrets to discover, the main gameplay loop (visiting room after room with simple turn-based combat) quickly becomes very boring, as strategy is relatively very simple, and there are over 50 such rooms to visit each run.

NO-SKIN is a game I only heard of due to the [url=https://youtu.be/Y20xydevFIE?si=481LBkEQ16-VZYe0] 11 hour story explained video by Flawed Peacock on YouTube, [/url] but I really wish I'd heard of the game sooner! It's a game with a lot in its underbelly, a massive rabbit hole, something I'd compare to games like Outer Wilds or Void Stranger, but only in that regard. As you unlock more and more and get hints as to lore implications, the game encourages you to exhaust as many options as you can in what is presented as a relatively simple roguelite gameplay loop. I love how many secrets there are to discover, and the game has been on my mind constantly in the past week. The game tests your resolve and puzzle-solving qualities and rewards you in spades with a thought provoking story that branches into so many avenues, to the extent of exploring NoEye's other games/concepts. Seriously, if the gameplay trailers or screenshots look interesting to you, this game is worth the small price!

Blending creepy pixel art over real photographic backgrounds creates a genuinely unsettling horror atmosphere. The roguelike survival mechanics keep runs interesting as you try to survive the house and uncover the mystery of the No-Skin Man. It is a neat, spooky indie experience, though repetitive loops mean it loses its scare factor after a few hours.

you can tell when a developer really loved developing their game

For a roguelite, it has a slow and difficult start, and initially there isn't a lot of feedback as to when or how you get permanent upgrades between runs. You may get the impression that it's construction is lazy or it's difficulty and obfuscation is needless. If you stick with it, there is a strict design language, and you will experience mastery of the mechanics and deeply satisfying discoveries. As soon as you rise above the challenge there will be more to scratch the itch, as well as easier routes to god builds where you can still be progressing universal unlocks. There is a very cheesy yet fun cakewalk if you want it, and there is constant gradual challenge if you want it too, and I felt like every really good new bit had just enough challenge without frustration - but be prepared that the first few runs is one of those challenges. There are multiple playable characters, multiple endings, frog fractions-esque genre divergences and core mechanics can be completely upended and branch into a ludicrous amount of content with so many interactions that it must of taken ages to plan and execute. Eventually, what you once suspected might be sparse and derivative will suddenly dawn on you as too big and too thought-out to be the pixel graphic indie horror dime a dozen genre clone you might be dreading. I was hoping for World Of Horror and hoping I would NOT get Undertale, and it's far more the former, but a wholly unique thing. NoEye-Soft's design philosophy and vision is extremely distinct, but also extremely measured and considered rpg strategy design. Mechanics, lore, and the meaning of the game and it's inception take meta turns. Some people just will never like that kind of thing, but I thought it was fascinating, rewarding, and a weirdly personal and moving glimpse into an artist's process of creating. Like a painting that shows you, through curiosity, effort and surprise - how it was made, why it was made, but still doing it's job of being beautiful and thought-evoking. The value for time makes this a no-brainer to pick up. The craftsmanship as a game, where there is puzzles and gameplay nested into places you wouldn't expect, make it exceptional for any price.

Having finished the game now, I can only recommend it with all my heart. The mechanics aren't super complex but there is enough to have fun as a game. And as a story? It more than exceeds the quality you'd expect from the price tag. If you love esoteric narratives that slowly unfold in deeper complexity? A definitive recommend.

The mechanics of this are so sleek and yet it works, it's kind of amazing. Just a few runs in for now, curious to see what is uncovered as you go deeper.

Unironically found this game through Markiplier and decided I wanted to play it for myself. I love the style and game mechanics so far. I haven't put a lot of time into it yet, but so far it's been a lot of fun!