Fran Bow

Fran Bow is a dark two-dimensional point ‘n’ click adventure game for PC, iOS and AND. The title tells a horrifying story of a small girl who suffers from serious psychological disorders after being traumatized. The game is the debut of Killmonday Games, a two-people studio from Stockholm. The development was funded largely thanks to the crowdfunding campaign at Indiegogo.

Plot

In the game, we assume the role of the eponymous Fran. One night, she witnesses her parents being brutally murdered. Frightened, she runs into a forest, accompanied by her only friend: a cat named Mr Midnight. After a while, the girl is found and locked in Oswald Asylum, a grim mental hospital for children. After a strange dream, in which she sees her beloved cat, Fran decides to escape and find her pet. The only person she can count on is her last living relative, aunt Grace.

Mechanics

As befits a true adventure game, Fran Bow focuses on exploration, conversations with encountered characters, and solving logic puzzles. To beat the last listed element, the protagonist needs more than her innate intellect and the ability to connect facts. Medicines, which Fran acquires at the beginning of the game, prove very useful. On one hand, they have a very destructive influence on the girl’s mind, putting images of blood, death, and terrifying characters before her eyes. On the other, though, among blood-stained walls and dead animals, Fran can also see a number of useful clues which are invisible in her regular state.

Technical aspects

Fran Bow for PC, iOS and AND is characterized by original hand-drawn 2D graphics that somewhat resemble the early productions of Tim Burton in terms of style. The title is enriched with a number of interesting visual devices such as black-and-white sequences, shaking camera, or character animation that resembles paper puppets. The unusual image of the game is complemented by an original soundtrack that perfectly harmonized with the dark ambience of the gameplay.

Last updated on 28 April 2023