Descend behind the pathway in the wall and discover a whole new world filled with avian folk and furniture monsters in Creaks.
Creaks is the latest offering by indie studio Amanita Design, and tells the tale of an unnamed protagonist who discovers a whole new world filled with avian folk and furniture monsters. As you descend behind the pathway in the wall a la Coraline, your perception of the world will change. Nothing will be the same.
Playing through the initial levels, I began by dodging cupboard dogs. Head too close to them, and the game treats you to an unpleasant scene. Luckily, there is no permadeath in Creaks, so I simply respawned at the last checkpoint. The puzzle of staying alive when being chased by living furniture plays with the concept of light — the creatures fear light, as they get turned back into furniture from its glow.
The art is reminiscent of Amanita’s other hit, Machinarium. Bright lights and animated avian folk juxtapose against gloomy, dystopian backgrounds, and Lovecraftian creatures. As you progress through the game, you face more deadly creatures: a jellyfish-like being that floats in a straight line until blocked off, and a shadow creature that mirrors your every move. The jellyfish are reminiscent of the aliens from War of the Worlds. I do not look forward to being shadowed much later.
Puzzles in Creaks had me moving through an area as I transformed and moved creatures to gain access to the next area. What’s more were hidden rooms and paintings scattered throughout the levels. The latter provided insight into the world’s lore. And who doesn’t love finding a room behind the bookcase?
I came out of Creaks with fresh new eyes, although I won’t be heading out to grab water from the kitchen at midnight anytime soon. Don’t want to catch the table starting to move.
Creaks is available now on Steam, GOG, Apple Arcade, and the Nintendo Switch.
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