Page - 149 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 07/02

Game Review: Creaks (Puzzle) | 149www.jrfm.eu 2021, 7/2, 149–155 Christian Wessely Game Review CREAKS (Puzzle) Amanita Design, 2020 The last time I reviewed an Amanita Design game (Samorost 3, see JRFM 3/1, 2017), I was so enthusiastic that I asked the Amanita team to drop me a note when their next puzzle game was going to be released. And they did: in summer 2020, Creaks was published and is available in a collector’s edition and a standard edition for downloading the respective Steam keys at https:// amanita-design.net/games/creaks.html. It is controlled by keyboard (or game controller, if available) using only the four cursor and three function keys. Various screen resolutions, including 4K (which indeed makes a difference in terms of focus and detail), are supported. The engine runs smoothly, and even on my 7-year-old notebook, the gameplay neither hangs nor stutters. Unlike Samorost 3, this game does not have a hint book included, which can be frustrating, because some of the puzzles are really challenging. But now for the game itself. Imagine you live happily in a slightly shabby, but charming and comfort- able small house. Then, one day, strange creaking sounds can be heard, the light flickers, dims, and goes out, the bulb shatters, and a general feeling of discomfort startles you. Would you rather leave, sleep in a hotel, and then call a pest exterminator the next day, or would you try to find the source of these phenomena for yourself, sneaking into a hitherto unknown passage hidden behind a piece of wallpaper? I am not sure what I would do in real life, but in the game, I chose the latter option. The passage is small, one needs to crawl through it on hands and knees, and the ground is shaking, damaging the passage. At last, a ladder leading down provides a way out – and this is where the game starts.1 Arriving in 1 Ladders are not the only means of getting from one floor to another; in fact, elevators and cable cars are necessary to cope with the impressive distances. DOI: 10.25364/05.7:2021.2.10