Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery
By: Akupara Games / Silver Lining Studio
I don’t absolutely need my games to have a gorgeous art style, but it certainly helps to catch my attention and interest if one does. That was the case with Silver Lining Studio‘s new release, Behind the Frame, which claims to be inspired by Studio Ghibli films and actually follows through on that promise. It’s a short game that can be played through in one sitting like a movie and it both looks and feels like it could have come from Miyazaki himself.
The story follows a graphic designer who’s working on a painting that she’s trying to get into a gallery. It starts off pretty straightforward. Every morning, she wakes up and makes coffee, eats breakfast and works on her resume. Then she sits down to either sketch her neighbor through the window or continue her latest painting. Strange things start to happen, though, when her neighbor’s cat finds its way into her apartment. I don’t want to give too much away, but the game has a bittersweet tale to tell.
In order to finish her painting, the woman first has to find all the paint. For whatever reason, she’s lost all the colors except for yellow. To find the others, you’ll have to solve light puzzles found around her apartment. Nothing is too taxing, though, and even when I was stuck for a bit it was never for too long. The notebook you sketch in is very good at keeping track of important details, like differences between paintings in your apartment and your neighbor’s. The game is also very touch-friendly, as you simply swipe to look around the room and then tap to interact with objects. When in paint mode, you use your finger to paint on the canvas. No painting skill is necessary, as the paint or sketch is filled in automatically when you run your finger over the area. It’s a very relaxing experience.
To go along with the gorgeous animation, there’s an original soundtrack that perfectly catches the mood of each day. It’s varied and very much part of the game and story, but never pulls attention away from the main focus. The writing is sparse but gets the job done. Sadly, the voice acting is limited to short sounds like “oh!” and “hmm” instead of being fully voice acted. That was the most noticeable drawback for me, because it broke some of the immersion and kept it from truly feeling like I was inside a movie. There’s also no iCloud sync, but since the game is so short that’s not a big deal.
It’s hard to talk about the story without spoiling it, which is why this review is so light on details. But I think it’s the kind of game that deserves a second playthrough to see things in a new light. Once you finish the game you can also revisit individual chapters to either go over some details or just watch your favorite cutscenes again. Perhaps you just want to see that mesmerizing cup of coffee poured over and over?
Behind the Frame is a short and sweet game that won’t be for everyone. It’s not quite as limited in interaction as an interactive movie, but the puzzles are not going to slow down most people too much. If you’re looking for a tricky and lengthy adventure game, this is not it. But if you’re open to a short, memorable, movie-like experience, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. So grab Behind the Frame here and start painting!
