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Adorable Pirate Platformer 'Scary Girl' Melts Our Hearts

by Ben Deitz on November 19, 2010 at 05:50 PM

Scary Girl
Having grown up on classics like 'Day of the Tentacle' and the 'King's Quest' series, fogies like us are lifelong fans of adventure games. The genre possesses more than just retro appeal, however. In fact, we've now entered a kind of indie renaissance. This week we'll share our favorite free-to-play picks for those in the mood to do a little pondering and puzzle-solving; take a refreshingly nostalgic break from all that furious button-mashing.

'Scary Girl' may not be typical, but its combination of platforming, puzzling and visual flair make it well worth playing. You'll guide Scary Girl (who's far cuter than she is terrifying) on a journey to unravel the secrets of a mysterious dream, venturing through a varying series of side-scrolling levels, while solving puzzles as you go. The adorable sense of discovery keeps Scary Girl from ever being boring; you'll swim underwater, rocket across mountains, and then find yourself treading traditional platforming stages. You'll interact with creatures and objects using the space bar, and guide Scary Girl using the arrow keys. The control scheme does switch for interaction and attacking, though, which can be disconcerting. By invoking the work of Tim Burton and Henry Selick, the art, characters and interface really make us want to settle into Scary Girl's world. Her adorably tentacled arms, the game's gorgeously rendered visual prompts and Scary Girl's awesome, robotic Toycat partner really speak to the developer's affection for his pirate octo-girl. The aesthetic is pulled off with enough grace to elevate it above that of the average Flash game, making this a stylish, well-rounded adventure for nearly anyone.

Scary Girl


Tags: FlashGames, gamesonthego, gaming, Henry Selick, HenrySelick, ScaryGirl, TimBurton, TimeWaster, top, videogames

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