Parents' Guide to Children of Silentown

It's trickier than you might imagine, but hopefully that won't keep too many prospective players from giving this fun little adventure game a go. Children of Silentown establishes its whimsically dark, Edward Gorey-like atmosphere through an unusual visual style that sees most villagers sporting pale skin, dark hair, and ghostly-white, pupil-free eyes, then builds on this appealingly odd vibe by introducing a series of quirky characters with distinct personalities and problems. Lucy herself is upbeat on the surface, but also fearful of what might be going on in and around her village. Her courage is what leads her to begin investigating the town, and her curiosity and intellect is what makes her the perfect person to get to the bottom of her little hamlet's mysteries.

The puzzles fall in line with those of most adventure games, tasking players to be observant, patient, and willing to try novel solutions. Some solutions are evident and rely on little more than common sense, requiring players to do something like use a stool to reach a higher place. Others demand a little more lateral thinking, or, at times, trial and error. You won't necessarily be told what a character wants or how two objects might go together, nor will you be able to sense the answer through intuition. Instead, you'll just need to try, try again until something works. These sorts of puzzles aren't the norm, and there's usually not so many variables as to make trial and error feel tedious. Still, these are the weakest elements of the experience and most likely to frustrate and interrupt the player's sense of immersion. The rest of Children of Silentown should prove a treat for players who enjoy a good mystery and tricky brain breakers.