Shindig

TL;DR: A game about throwing a party, that made me feel delighted and happy as I got to know its characters, and melted my cold and cynical heart. I did not expect to love this gem of a game and I do, I absolutely love it. It's rare that I play a game and the only negative that I can think of is that it doesn't (yet) have a sequel that I can go and play straight after this one. I'm listening to its soundtrack right now while I'm writing this, and appreciating the many little touches of warmth and genius that I found in every scene and location, every dialogue and interaction (and reaction) of the characters, every thoughtful lunge. Finely-crafted dialogue getting strong and lovable characterisations across to the player with voice-acting that nailed the right tone every time (I paid attention throughout the whole game - Don't ask what's in it!) and a game full of designed details that just made me smile and enjoy. The developers of this game pitched it as an uplifting experience and it delivered - some truly lovely smiles and chuckles to be had from this game, even for a zesty rulebreaker hoomin like me. I think what clinches it for the player is the excellent characterisations and voice acting that made this a real pleasure to play and experience. Even when I wondered what would happen if I turned on the radio in my hut, the devs had taken care of that, and I was treated to an ensemble of wonderful fun adverts and jingles and philosophy which was a gift that kept on giving for a delightfully immersive time. And I think that was the key to my falling in love with this game - the many details and surprises which made all sorts of things worth clicking on and which made all of the interactions with characters a real treat - this has so obviously been crafted by devs who care about their game and who care about giving players some really satisfying experiences and feelings. I really enjoyed discovering each scene and interacting with all of the game elements. I relived some of the best bits of my game-playing youth while playing this game, because in its own unique way, Shindig is a finely-nuanced homage to a golden era of Sam 'n Max and Monkey Island with a dash of extra retro charm and fun. It does all that and with its own identity too. Am cat! After playing Shindig for a few hours, I went and checked out the devs' website and realised that all of the just-right touches and details throughout the game, and all the self-assured musical ambiance, carefully-crafted dialogue etc. was no accident - these devs have honed their craft over decades of working at the heart of the biggest game development houses on the planet and it really shows - they have absorbed kawaii cuteness and game design chops into their DNA and it's all on display here in their first game. I'm excited to see what they create next. And I could so watch a TV series based on these characters and this game world. A surprise hit for me - and at a price where I think anyone can give it a go and discover for themselves - and hopefully the first of many from this developer. Well done Imaginary Friends Games for coming up with my Feelgood Game Of The Year. Beautiful. Mogick.

Hey there hoomin! Tbh, the moment I started creating my character, the game had already got me. Not just because there are many (hair) styles you can choose from, but the developers really made an effort to make variety and diversity one of the integral components of this game. And as you can feel while playing, they were very successful in doing so. The individual and lovable characters are the main reason for playing this charming game! They come to life through their different personal backgrounds, their relationships between one another and their different ways of speaking (which is evident thanks to the great voice acting). But most of all, these characters are damn funny! Playing this game really made me laugh out loud - a lot. That's why Shindig is not necessarily a single player game. You can also play it together with your family or friends to enjoy the jokes all together. I did the latter and it was one of the most entertaining nights in months. Moreover, the tunes are darn catchy. I had to buy the soundtrack after finishing the game. So be warned! One last thing: English is not my mother tongue (as you may have noticed), but the game is perfectly playable for people with average English knowledge. You may also learn some interesting (British) expressions as well.

[h1]PBS vibes[/h1] Relentlessly positive and meticulously inclusive, Shindig is a ~3 hour point + click adventure by Imaginary Friends games, a small studio consisting of married couple Martyn Maillardet and Fay Maillardet. While both Fay and Martyn have extensive backgrounds in the game industry at large companies like Sony and Nintendo, this is their first independent release. The game is struggling to find its audience a little, so I picked it up to support quality work and to see for myself what it's all about. In Shindig, your customizable player character is taken to an idyllic little island by a talking boat to assist in planning a party. The game's main goal is to run around the island collecting party necessities and associated festivity accouterments such as cake, sweet tunes, and cool decorations. To accomplish this, you must befriend the game's ~15 characters spread out across a dozen locations or so, mostly through the completion of fetch quests, scavenger hunts, and a few pretty simple adventure-style puzzles. As it turns out, Shindig feels a bit like a cross between Mutazione (go buy it if you haven't heard of it) and Peppa Pig - While appropriate for all audiences, it's not a game made FOR kids per se, as it doesn't pull any punches with its vocabulary and touches on some threads that may resonate more with an adult audience (maintaining a positive work/life balance, making healthy career choices, etc), but it definitely has a bit of a children's cartoon vibe. Shindig is fully voiced. The voice work isn't bad, which is especially impressive as virtually all characters are voiced by Fay Maillardet herself. With so many characters in the game, some of the voices end similar to each other, but I totally respect the achievement. The game runs smoothly; my playthrough had no hiccups or bugs to speak of. [h1]Inclusivity and Accessibility[/h1] Like any self-respecting children's cartoons, Shindig is especially forward with its positive and inclusive messaging. Despite the limited character creation options, I appreciated that you do have the ability to play as a character wearing a turban or a headscarf. Accessibility features such as closed captioning are included in the game and are not only on by default, but integrated into the scenes so that they appear dynamically where the sound occurs. They are also written with an uncommon amount of effort and humor. Every background song in the game (there are many good ones) gets its own little description, for instance. As an example, one description might be something like "upbeat poppy song with an electronic beat, very adventurous feeling" and then you go inside and the description will say "same theme as outside, but no beat and reorchestrated to be a lot more chill". I really appreciated this feature, which goes above and beyond standard captioning. [b] Important note, in my build of the game, the game's music was off by default. I strongly recommend checking the settings and bumping up the music slider to 50% or so before starting the game, just in case this is not patched. [/b] Incidentally, all of the game's characters are extremely respectful of one another, even when they disagree. While the game's dialogue is largely light, humorous, and inoffensive, it can occasionally touch on more personal matters, and these issues are discussed frankly, honestly, and correctly. As the main story progresses, you will unlock optional scenes which can be viewed through a portrait gallery in your character's house. These scenes tend to be a bit more personal than the scenes in the main game, and they feel a little autobiographical. These can be skipped, but I recommend playing them. [h1]In Conclusion[/h1] I'm not really sure who exactly this game is for, but I liked it. You might like it too.

If this game doesn't put a smile on your face, I honestly don't know what will. Shindig plays like a traditional point 'n' click - you talk to folk, pick up objects, and even access your inventory by moving your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, à la classic adventure games such as Broken Sword. The story is pretty straightforward - you answer a job advertisement to travel to a small island and help organise a party. But the real strength of this game is in its characters. The island is home to a wide variety of folk, and each one is absolutely bursting with personality and individuality. Honestly, most of the characters in this game are far more memorable than those you'd find in most AAA titles these days. They're all brought to life by wonderful art and utterly charming voice acting. I played through the bulk of the game in one sitting, and even went out of my way to hunt down all of the achievements, something I rarely do. It's not a long game - you can easily finish it in one or two sittings, but every second of it has so much heart and soul in it. Also - gotta mention the music - it's fantastic, and there's a surprising amount of it! I can't wait to see more stuff from these devs (plus I need to know what's behind that waterfall!)

Very nice game with funny and charming characters. With just under 3 hours of playtime perfect for a weekend!

[b]Shindig[/b] will provide 2-3 hours of uplifting and heartwarming gameplay, a little longer if you want to complete all of the Steam achievements! It is full of positive messages and ideas, all of which sit comfortably within the dialogue and narrative. The fun quests, eclectic characters and cute aesthetic all blend together beautifully to create a relaxed and calming experience that is also highly satisfying! Overall, this is an impressive feat from the husband and wife dev team and one of the most wholesome games I have played in a long time and I thoroughly recommend it! [b]WANT TO KNOW MORE?[/b] My full review of this game where I go into detail about game play, narrative and styling is available at [url=https://indie-hive.com/shindig/]Indie Hive[/url].

Shindig is a lot more than its simple premise and visuals belie. Tasked with setting up a party after accepting a job offer and travelling to an island the game plays out as a fairly linear point and click adventure that has a run time of a few hours, but it is the characters, the positive social messages, the slightly surreal setting, and the easy going humour of the writing that elevates it above all of anybody's initial impressions. A joy to play, and a game that deserves better than most will give it credit for <3

Just finished and have to say what a fine piece of art. There are so many wonderfully created characters which are fully voiced by mostly one person. Many funny moments that will really make you laugh and is totally worth the asking price. I personally got provided a key but will buy it too and gift it to someone to support the devs.

Super Spiel für Kinder. Sehr süße Story mit ansprechendem Design. Leider nur auf englisch umgesetzt. Weitere Sprachen wären toll!

Not a challenge, but a delight. Full of character, humour and heart - more than this jaded old gamer was expecting. If you like watching familiar childhood films when you need comfort for a couple of hours, this is a good pick for you.