The debut of Swedish studio Clifftop Games released in 2016, Kathy Rain, is a throwback to the pixel graphics of two decades ago. As part of the Spooktober series I’m doing this Halloween, but since I don’t have another horror themed game in my library, I’ve played another game that is a bit similar.
The game
Kathy Rain is a point-and-click pixel graphics adventure game with good storytelling and nice voice acting. Every single line of dialogue is voice acted. Although some dialogues sometimes veers into cliche, the game offers some pop culture reference that can be both humorous and nostalgic.
The game is more story driven at first and started the puzzles later on which is a bit disappointing. The story however, is a bit more compelling, that’s what hooked me in. The writing and storytelling are the real strength of Kathy Rain.
The plot
Kathy Rain is a point-and-click pixel graphics adventure video game. The game is set in 1995 and follows a college girl majoring in journalism named Kathy Rain who returns to her hometown to look into a mystery related to her deceased grandfather. Armed with her motorcycle, a pack of cigarettes, and a notepad, Kathy begins to delve into a local mystery surrounding her hometown that will take her on a harrowing journey full of emotional and personal turmoil.
As she follows a trail of clues he left behind, questions emerged — what was Joseph Rain really looking for that night all those years ago? What turned him into a mere shell of a man, confined to a wheelchair? What secret did a suicidal young artist take with her to the grave, and why are so many people in Conwell Springs going mad? The truth is dark and sinister…
Conclusion
The game is more heavy on the story than the puzzles. The puzzles at first are very light and almost non-existent, the harder puzzles came in the later part of the game. I think this is a problem, it is more invested in building up a story than giving the player the game mechanics to “play”. It was also a surprising turn that took me by surprise — the supernatural angle of the game that I thought would just be a dark mystery. All in all, the game is entertaining and kept me for several hours.
You can watch my playthrough here: YouTube Playlist
