When Christmas is around the corner, I like to grab a few games to lose myself completely and chew on them on all those days when laziness takes over. For me it’s kind of a Christmas tradition, much like watching The Grinch or Christmas Carol on December 25th, something that started more than 15 years ago when video games became part of my life. When Scarf popped up on my radar, it was clear to me that this year this game would be part of the lore.
Developed by Upsrising Studios, Scarf is a platform adventure that offers an emotional experience that explores what it means to be a hero. Settled in a myriad of surprising worlds and following an adorable and ethereal blue creature who teams up with a kind of cosmic being in the form of a red dragon (who transforms into a scarf), our protagonist acquires a number of useful skills that they bestow on ascension a game where the key is to discover the truth about the existence of our blue character.
The narrative does not unfold in a traditional, dialogical manner. Scarf is a game that advances its story and provides a connection between the player and the protagonist through the protagonist’s emotions and the goals they must accomplish. Yes, you will come to love the main character as you see him interact with the dragon creature that acts as a handkerchief and the challenges he faces in this particular world. The problem with this type of design, however, is that I still don’t know exactly what the protagonist or the dragon is called and it is difficult to define exactly what the story is due to the lack of a clear narrative or substantial dialogue.
While the story sometimes fails despite being charming, Uprising Studios has managed to stand out in other ways. The gameplay, for example, is straightforward and easy to understand, with basic platform mechanics prevalent for most of the game. You’ll have to solve small problems and puzzles (such as moving blocks to different places to recreate a picture), as well as jumping, sliding, and swinging to new areas in each level. It’s a pretty simple and common platform style that shouldn’t be too complicated for the player and it certainly fits the overall atmosphere and style of Scarf, a slow and relaxed title.
That doesn’t mean Scarf isn’t funny because it is. It’s a title that has just the right amount of mechanics to be entertaining without being overly complex. You have a lot of control over the protagonist and can pick up certain things and sprint through a level, but at the same time most skills are used at the beginning and from then on Scarf mainly concentrates on the puzzles, with the skills are mainly the tool to start each new one Solve a problem.
As for the puzzles, it can be real puzzles, like the one previously mentioned about the blocks, but there can also be other more physical challenges, such as collecting a magic ball that can divert water in a perimeter around the protagonist around places at the foot of a lake or coastline to find the path or object necessary to get to the next section of the level. The variety of puzzles is impressive, and there are some that keep you puzzled (the one in hiding kept me bogged down for a long time) but at the same time, like the general premise of the game, they are not planned to be puzzled by you, and most have obvious or clear ones Solutions behind.
By now it can be said that one of the main goals of Scarf is to provide a cozy experience that is very well achieved. It’s not a title that will keep you hooked, but rather one of the rarest games that makes you feel more comfortable when it comes to experimenting with some calm and letting its relaxing nature take over. This style is also reinforced by an eye-catching, colorful level design and distinctive art direction that highlight and encourage exploration of each of its unique worlds. Although research revolves mainly around finding nonsensical, simple collectibles like toys or paintings.
While not perfect, Scarf is one of the main flaws with its collectible fundamentals, but a game that is hard not to call charming. It takes about 5-6 hours, doesn’t take too long, and makes you want to play it to the end. It’s true that his telling isn’t exactly the simplest, but that is made up for by some attractive puzzles and quite fun game mechanics. It is not a game designed to challenge you, but to satisfy you. Given the season it was played in, it can be one of the ideal games for the Christmas break of any year.
