Computer SCHiM Review

In Dutch, 'schim' refers to a shadow or a shadowy figure; and in the aptly-titled SCHiM from Dutch duo developers Ewoud van der Werf and Nils Slijkerman, you play as such a figure. While everything in the world has a schim attached, your human has lost its connection to you. You'll have to jump from shadow to shadow as you attempt to reunite with your human before being separated for good.


SCHiM's narrative is purely visual. The game begins with the protagonist schim following their human from an early age until adulthood, when they become separated. Your goal as the schim is then to reunite with the human.


There is no discernible dialogue or narration that sets the scene. But the visual storytelling mechanic is elegantly executed. Based on factors such as the location, mood and time of day, the game's color palette changes to convey the scene's feelings. Each level begins with the camera centered on your next destination and slowly moving to your schim's current position.

SCHiM's varied levels are clearly inspired by Dutch landscapes, which will be obvious if you've ever visited The Netherlands. From the bike-friendly city infrastructures to the snaking canals, this game takes you on a virtual tour of the country with an attractive art style. The scenes are also well designed and detailed, with pedestrians and vehicles moving by, breathing some life in the game universe.


SCHiM delivers an original presentation with a minimalist aesthetic accompanied by catchy schim animations and chilled tunes. The combination feels quite unique and fits well with the overall cozy vibe of the game.


On the gameplay front, SCHiM plays as a platformer; a genre that lends itself well to the premise. You'll have to jump from shadow to shadow to reach your next destination in a level. While getting from A to B on the current map is the recurring objective across the game, each map is varied and made up of everyday scenery. This means that A and B changes in each level, and the route you take changes, with levels having more than one route to get to your destination.


Indeed, while you are restricted to the current level's map, you are allowed to explore in an open-ended fashion; at least where shadows are present. When in a shadow, you can press A to jump and use the left stick to control your direction. If you hold A, you can perform a longer jump. But if you miss your landing and end up in the light, you can still perform a small jump to try to reach the nearest shadow. But if you still cannot reach the safety of shadows, you will reset to your last position in one.

SCHiM is quite forgiving in terms of checkpoints, so you can try different routes and see what works best. In doing so, you might even find one of the many collectibles which are hidden across nearly each level.


The game also relies on a certain level of environmental and spatial awareness. You will have to map out your surroundings to calculate your move. And this is not done in only one direction. You can rotate the camera to view the map from different positions. In fact, disguised in the platforming gameplay are puzzle elements. You have to figure out how to get to your destination and often, it's not as straightforward as you might think.

You might need to time jumps with moving objects and people to cross the road. At other times, you need to interact with the environment to progress. For example, switching on the lights of a motorcycle or lower road barriers to create a shadow. As you progress, these interactions get more nuanced and blend more with the environment. You'll be able to open shutters and control drones, with the former adding a layer of urgency as they slowly close down after opening up.

The platforming puzzles that each level poses are each unique and offer a fair challenge. The traversal mechanic also feels very satisfying, especially when you are on a roll from one shadow to the next successively. The "bouncy" visual effects also add to the satisfying feeling, and practically every item has a response if you "interact" with them.



With SCHiM, developers Ewoud van der Werf and Nils Slijkerman have cleverly crafted a unique way to portray a puzzle platformer. It tells a touching story of a schim trying to reunite with its human in a visually striking manner.

However, the reliance on visual storytelling can be double-edged. Sometimes, some elements might not be too clear such as why or how the schim and the human got separated in the first place. But the story is not really the central focus of this game.

What can also not be clear is how you need to progress. This is a common downside to puzzle-platformers. SCHiM does allow you to view your goal by pressing RT but a clearer hint system or even being able to zoom out would be handy.


All things considered, SCHiM stands out as a visually unique platformer. Its varied levels offer fair challenges with no timer and no rush, nailing the cozy vibes for a relaxing gaming time this summer.