Publisher Critical Reflex, known for its curated collection of unusual and compelling games, showcased several promising titles at Tokyo Game Show. Attendees spent time with four distinct demos: Tiny Chills – Not From Ear, Grobnopolis | Last Days, Sated, and Flawless Abbey.
Tiny Chills – Not From Ear
Tiny Chills – Not From Ear, developed by Docktopus Games, presents a horror experience set in a town plagued by incessant earthquakes and disappearances. The player's character, suspended from school, assists their mother at an ear-cleaning clinic. The gameplay involves using various tools from a first-person perspective to remove gunk, bugs, and even monsters from patients' ears. The game's aesthetic is described as having a Coraline-esque vibe with a grainy, shadow-filled, lo-fi look. The clinic itself is depicted as decrepit and lonely, with patients urgently seeking treatment. The ear-cleaning mechanics are notably graphic, combining squelchy sound effects with the visual unpleasantness of the task, to the point where one demonstrator reported gagging. Beyond the clinic duties, players also engage in strange home activities, such as caring for a pet crow and investigating their mother's frequent disappearances, hinting at a deeper, unsettling narrative.
Grobnopolis | Last Days
Set in the fictional town of Huta-Grobno in 1983, Grobnopolis | Last Days places players in the role of an apartment caretaker. The outside world is obscured by a suffocating smoke originating from a mine accident. Within the drab confines of the player's apartment, interactions with objects and a radio reveal unsettling details about the unfolding crisis. The radio broadcasts include strange opera music, workers discussing the mine disaster, and warnings about an impending Church cult. The game features other unsettling apartment residents, and tasks often require venturing into hallways to gather equipment. A growing crack in the kitchen, accompanied by whispers, adds to the oppressive atmosphere. The game's Steam description mentions a mysterious, blood-red ichor referred to as 'Soup' that seeps through the town. As this substance spreads, a local Church exerts control, evacuating some civilians while consolidating its power.
Sated
Sated blends roguelite elements with horror and a unique culinary theme reminiscent of Cooking Mama. Players take orders from monstrous customers, which are delivered by a mechanical shark in the demo. The orders consist of strange ingredients identified by symbols. Players then use a slot machine-like fridge to gather the required items. The game doesn't specify exact ingredient quantities, instead presenting an ambiguous bar indicating proportions, requiring players to estimate the correct amounts for a satisfying meal. Successful meals earn positive scores, while failures can lead to the player becoming the meal, ending the run. After each meal, players select their next destination on a roguelite map, encountering new monsters.
Flawless Abbey
Flawless Abbey is described as a surreal, dreamlike adventure with a moody, oppressive mystery. Players are 'dreamseekers' within a purple-and-grey facility, using pods to explore a 'dream-tower'. After encountering a malfunctioning pod, players interact with an IT 'being of consciousness' to reboot it. Upon entering the pod, players find themselves on a mythical train traveling through a vibrant, swirling sky. Gameplay involves solving environmental puzzles, such as deciphering a door mechanism using a train ticket as a key. Dialogue choices in the game feel less like direct answers and more like a method for the game to learn about the player. The visual style is characterized as painterly and patchwork, accompanied by an adventurous score. The game's Steam page indicates additional elements, including corporate benefits, a beast threatening the dream-tower, a personal assistant, and other dreamseekers.