2D monochrome adventure Skaramazuzu has Hollow Knight’s adorable melancholy
Freak Deer is back, in shadow form!
I’m not saying that Zuzu, the star of melancholic 2D adventure Skaramazuzu, is definitely inspired by that Adventure Time bit where the deer takes off its hooves like gloves. But I am saying that if it were, it’d have my full support, because the freak deer deserves to live on forever, even as a shadow wandering a gothic purgatorial landscape in an unrelated game.
We got a trailer for this one a few weeks back, and the game itself just dropped on Steam yesterday. It’s got that specific blend of Hollow Knight: Silksong -esque maudlin and whimsy that I personally love, skirting around the edges of both without slipping too readily into Tim Burton territory. The artstyle is crisp and wintery, the writing is goofy, and everything that moves looks like it evolved from the same dead tree branch. Feast your hooves on the trailer below:
The game comes from Greek team Bleeding Moon Studio, who up until now are credited with just the Purrfectly Hidden Cats series. Those are cozy hidden object games, so Skaramazu having a dedicated story to tie together its puzzles and exploration seems like a commendable departure from their previous work. The writing itself looks to play a big role, too. “Every character will be willing to listen and help Zuzu and ask for something in return,” promises the Steam description. “Some of these strange personalities might turn out to be key figures in Zuzu’s little peculiar adventure.”
“The protagonist Zuzu, a joyful and innocent soul without any memory, has been summoned by a mysterious entity called Master, to discover the meaning of their existence,” it continues. Is this just me being a mark for an indie with interesting visuals and existentialist themes without knowing too much else about it? Look, buddy, you may think you’ve got me pinned here, but I’m actually quite a discerning customer. Did the shadow puppet Freak Deer seal the deal? Also, yes.