Shady Part of Me

Beautiful and sensitive and subtle.

Most games that address mental illness either use it as a sensational plot device or stumble and fall between taking it seriously and gamifying it. Shady Part of Me avoids the pitfalls by staying true to the journey, the doubts, and the difficult healing. And it does all this with a quintessentially hopeful message. You can do it. And you can survive the sacrifices.

It takes place in a gorgeously rendered fantasy world, brimming with the wonders and fears of childhood. The music is lovely and energizing. The voice acting is straightforward and effective.

And all of this with satisfying gameplay consisting of clever environmental puzzles, with optional collectibles that push the difficulty up a notch. Note that if you go back to collect them after finishing the game, you must reach a subsequent checkpoint for them to register.

Very strong recommendation from me.