Developer: jakefriend
Platform: PC (Reviewed)
Genre: Action, Adventure
Publisher: Fellow Traveller, jakefriend
Scrabdackle Act 1 is a very charming and imaginative indie game that serves as a strange but colourful world. The first act focuses on worldbuilding, the characters, and storytelling rather than diving straight in. The developer is Jakefriend, and the publishers are Fellow Traveller and Jakefriend.
The gameplay in Scrabdackle is simple but engaging. It has blended a light puzzle-solving game with exploration and story-driven interactions. Rather than being a fast-paced action game, the game actively encouraged the players to take their time, relax, and experiment while paying attention to the details in the environment. The gameplay has never once felt boring, and each new section introduces small twists that keep making the game more interesting, especially just being the first act. Players are encouraged to move around their environments carefully. With many challenges that are designed to test the players’ attention and curiosity over their reflexes, which fits the game’s relaxed tone. Progression is mostly driven by interaction with the world and the different characters, while discovering hidden details that slowly push the story forward.
The story of the game is slowly revealed through the dialogue, environmental clues, and the subtle visual storytelling that we were able to see. The first act doesn’t explain everything right away, which creates suspense and can lead you to wanting more. The backstory hints at a larger, more complex world that makes the players want to continue into the game to uncover the full narrative. The characters are especially quirky and memorable, and the writing is able to balance the humour and mystery nicely.
The controls of the game are straightforward to learn. The actions are easy, while making the game accessible to everyone, even new players. The movements and interactions are generally responsive, but there are some movements where the controls feel slightly stiff, which may be improved later in other acts.
The music in Scrabdackle fits the tone of the game perfectly, with different quirky, whimsical, calm, and occasionally eerie tones, helping set the mood of the game without feeling too distracted. The sound effects are simple yet effective, adding personality to the different actions and environments.
One of the strongest aspects of Scrabdackle so far has been its cartoon-inspired art style. The visuals are expressive, playful, and full of character. The bright colours are used creatively, often contrasting with the darker or mysterious themes in the story. The art style helps the game stand out and gives it a more unique identity that feels handcrafted rather than generic.
Scrabdackle Act 1 is a strong start to what could become a very interesting indie series. While it does havea few technical limitations, its creativity, art direction, and atmosphere make up for more. It’s a game that values imagination and storytelling over realism, and that choice pays off well. Players who enjoy indie games, narrative experiences, or clean visuals will likely find a lot to enjoy here.
Overall: 8/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
