When a mystery presents itself, who are the people you think of to solve it? A detective, perhaps, or maybe the illustrious Sherlock Holmes. Or maybe a psychic who can delve into the past? However, what if it were a mute halfling mage, known as a Carimara? Well, in our Carimara: Beneath The Forlorn Limbs review, we learn the answer to that very question!

This setup leads into a uniquely creepy mystery here in Carimara: Beneath The Forlorn Limbs. It’s a story that slowly unfolds as you play. However, is it a story worth exploring, or is it one to skip out on? Read along to find out here in our Carimara: Beneath The Forlorn Limbs reviews.

Spoiler Warning: There will be major story spoilers, so please read at your own risk.

Story:

The game starts with a simple phrase, once upon a time. We see our character, a Carimara, a mute being with unique magic. Able to create cards of things seen to communicate. He answers the call of an old lady to help solve a mystery in her home. A voice that won’t leave and allow her to sleep. She asks for help. It is then up to us to solve the request.

As we start to ask questions about the things we find, what follows is what started as a simple request. Turns into the discovery of loss. In the basement is a spirit that wishes to know who they were and what happened to them. We learn of Violet, the old lady, skill as an artisan in sculpting statues. As well as how she has now taken up knitting dolls. However, as you dig deeper, the reason is that of the secret locked in her chest. Which is a large doll of her “friend.” You find a grave and learn of the tragic fate that befell her.

A pranking dormouse, a vermin within the walls, killed her friend. It did that by taking a statue and throwing it at her head. This revelation then leads to how Violet was blamed for her lost love’s death by the village. She killed the dormouse in anger for its horrific act. However, upon revealing the truth of the spirit’s demise, she is brought to peace. Able to finally be at ease, she chooses to haunt and stay with Violet, to the end of her days.

This story starts creepy and uncertain, but it evolves into such a heartbreaking, yet tragically happy ending. A unique spin on a mystery game, it’s hard to imagine it’s such a short game. For this reason, it’s definitely a game that all should experience.

Visuals:

The visuals of the game a very simple. It’s dark, muted, overly exaggerated, and unsettling. But it is not scary in the normal sense. It’s creepy for sure, but it works for the game. With its blocky angles and dark black lines. It allows the feeling of being creepy by over exaggerating the facial features. However, it also brings out more emotions with it all. The world is viewed in a purple, almost blue-ish shade to show the sadness that exists within it. Whether you’re looking at Violet, the old lady, or Pansy the Owl. Each character stands out in this world because of its unique view.

Audio:

The sound design in the game is the one place I find a little lacking. While I understand the fact that our character is a mute. That doesn’t mean the rest of the world should be as well. Within Carimara: Beneath The Forlorn Limbs, sometimes no voices can help if the atmosphere is there. But the background noise is also very muted, but not in a good way. Between Violet and Pansy, the most sound they make is simple grunts. The world has some sounds of the forest that Violet lives within, but it’s so shallow it’s almost hard to even acknowledge it’s there.

This takes away from the creepy atmosphere the game creates. Which is sad, as there is much potential here. The background music is nice, but again, it’s random where it is heard. All of this takes away from the world and all the potential it has.

Gameplay:

Now Carimara: Beneath The Forlorn Limbs plays in a very easy, simple manner. Not that this takes away from it at all. As Carimara walks around the hut, he discovers things that can be used to ask questions and probe further. This adds to the detective mystery-solving aspect of it all. Whenever you discover something new, you create a new card. This card is then used to ask more questions, which help to uncover the story as it evolves. Whether that’s to learn of a new secret hidden somewhere, or to allow one to speak with another character.

And that is pretty much it. That is all that the game contains, but it all ties together really well. As well as making sense within the established lore of the world. Since Carimara is mute, the cards allow them to communicate with those around. This allows the game to feel both unique as a “Card Game,” but also as a mystery game. It’s this straightforward gameplay that creates a truly unique experience to check out.

Closing Thoughts:

Overall, my time with my Carimara: Beneath The Forlorn Limbs review was an enjoyable one. For a very short experience, it is one that I highly recommend for anyone wanting to see it for themselves. And within the credits, the dev himself states that if the game succeeds, he could look at treating the game as an episodic experience. So it is possible we can see more self-contained stories within Carimara: Beneath The Forlorn Limbs.

If you wish to check out the game for yourself, it is now out today available on Steam. We want to give a major thanks to the continued and amazing team at Critical Reflex for the key. If you enjoyed this review, check out the other games we have covered by them. Such as their recent releases, No, I’m not a human, or Eclipsium.

Let us know if you plan to check out the game for yourself in the comments below.

-Jess (Bloodieknux)

Hey everyone hope you enjoyed my thoughts and breakdowns in the article above. You can keep up with my thoughts & shenanigans by following me on all my social media: Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, & YouTube.