Release Date: May 3rd, 2018
Publisher: Beautifun Games
Platforms: Switch (Reviewed), iOS, Android, Vita, and Wii U
Price: $8 everywhere, except the Vita and Wii U, it’s $10

The Switch is really hitting it’s stride with Indie platformers recently. The latest to meet the requirements is Nihlumbra. Players will be using the touchscreen and controls to navigate this interesting and dark world. But does this game have enough to make it stand out from the crowded Indie library on the Switch?

Players are tasked with playing as Born who was once part of the mysterious Void but with a stroke of luck was able to escape from the dark pit. The narrative stirs philosophical thoughts in the background while the Void endlessly pursues players, trying to suck them back in. Reminds me of an endless runner with a few more elements to the gameplay. But the story is pretty light from here on out.

While this puzzle platformer may seem simple, the art design and colors really made Nihilumbra interesting. Players have access to 4 different colors which will let them manipulate the environment. Blue allows players to turn the ground to ice which makes enemies and Born slide along faster. Green makes the walls bouncy which is beneficial for getting to areas Born cannot reach. Brown makes the ground and walls sticky, this is great for slowing down enemies. Red turns everything into lava which is a great way to kill yourself and enemies. Yellow lets you provide power to machines. These can get fun it's easy to manipulate the powers and see what happens.

There aren’t really any weapons, but by manipulating the colors players can stay one step ahead of the Void and deal with the enemies that get thrown at them. The puzzles can get tough quick and will force players to think quickly, lucky for this guy there are plenty of checkpoints, I died a lot. The only thing I thought was an interesting design choice is Nihilumbra can only be played in handheld mode. Players have to use the controls and the touchscreen, sometimes at the same time. This could be fun with the pro controllers or if I could play the game docked on my large TV.

While a little on the short side the game is still fun. The $8 price point is perfect and as I have said before the Switch is the new home for Indie games. Big thanks to the publisher for letting us review this great game.

Pros:
-Interesting art style
-Colorful world

Cons:
-Only playable in handheld mode
-Shorter game

Big thanks to the publisher for letting us review this great game.

Nihilumbra Review