Inmost (Nintendo Switch) Review

A BITTER TRAGEDY WITH LAYERS OF UNCERTAINTY

Some of the deepest emotions of the human psyche have the potential to be explored in games in ways that other mediums lack. Interactivity can make actions have more weight, even though sometimes instances going for a particular feeling can end up being quite the opposite. There’s a level of care and precision that has to be injected into scenes to spark a certain emotion and that doesn’t consider interpretations from players. Inmost is a game steeped in dark fantasy that mirrors a bitter reality. While it may have shocking moments and the story concludes in an exciting fashion, the actual journey is full of missteps. 

Inmost was developed by Hidden Layer Games, an indie studio in Lithuania that is composed of just two people, Alexey Testov and Andriy Vinchkovskiy. The pair started their game design journey with simple Flash projects and mobiles games but they grew hungry for something more meaningful. After a tough two month development that gambled their funding, the first demo for Inmost was complete and entered into a contest. Thankfully, the gamble paid off and their demo won an award, prize money, and much-needed attention. From there, the duo was determined to make Inmost into a full release and eventually they found a publisher in Chucklefish. Inmost has since been released on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Apple Arcade. 

Even at the outset of Inmost, it’s apparent that this game is going for a particular story, one of terrible tragedy and violence lined in hope. There are warnings about the game’s sensitive themes, most notably suicide, and the tone is predominantly serious. The story is delivered from the perspective of several characters that steadily unveil the nature of the intense narrative. It is like a frame narrative or a story within a story, but that detail is not apparent until midway through and I am not sure exactly how these details fall into place. Discussions on the game’s story have been an interesting practice online and with friends who have also played Inmost but not to the extremes as some of the more open stories in games or other media. 

While I can spend countless hours breaking down the symbolism of The Binding of Isaac, Dante’s Inferno, or Neon Genesis Evangelion, I don’t think Inmost will be as impactful as other stories even within the circle of fans. 

The main gameplay of Inmost involves exploring rooms, finding items, and solving various puzzles.

The gameplay of Inmost is marketed as a 2D puzzle platformer but it feels closer to a traditional point-and-click adventure to me. This is mostly due to the trial-and-error scenarios whenever there is danger and the way items are used contextually to explore. Movement in Inmost is heavy with each of the playable characters having a particular cadence and rhythm. Due to this, jumps feel risky and characters move with more realistic speed. In fact, all of the animations in the game feel measured, setting a deliberate pace. This is most apparent in an early section where an elderly man has to carefully walk down several flights of stairs. 

Throughout this adventure, players will mostly be exploring a rundown castle covered in thorny vines with lots of winding paths and secret alcoves. I was amazed to find that the entire map is connected. Each section is accessed through a particular item which creates more paths and shortcuts. Of course, each item is contextual so the gameplay stays static throughout with the main character. The main hero is also weak compared to the monsters, which means that he has to run away or trick the creatures into falling into a trap. Luckily, this is broken up with moments of action where players don the heavy armor of a knight.  

Playing as the knight is exciting but could have more complex combat.

The knight’s gameplay is the most action-oriented element of Inmost. In these scenes, players will be slashing at inky monsters and using a grappling hook to access other sections of the stage. I always felt energized by the knight’s sections because they were full of excitement. The music swells perfectly, the story is narrated by such gravitas, the knight moves much faster, I could’ve played a whole game on this character alone. Unfortunately, the combat boils down to using the same one or two moves without any sense of a combo and it gets old fast. Most of the interactions of the game feel just slightly off. 

Our third character, a little girl, is used in moments that are closer to the horror genre than anything else. In these sections, players will steadily explore a large house, uncovering the troubles of the family and maybe even a secret darkness, all while carrying around a sassy stuffed rabbit. These moments have some of the best scares of the game but I could have used a few more details for the story to really drive home. It also would’ve helped if the little girl could move items around just a touch faster. 

The little girl’s sections are creepier than the main game.

The main character’s segments are the largest where players solve puzzles, talk with almost Lewis Carroll-esque characters, and go through stretches of trial-and-error gameplay. This is where I had the most problems with Inmost. Some of these solutions require precise timing or doing a task that is not as hinted at as it could have been. For the most part, I didn’t find the puzzle-solving fun; it slowed down the more enjoyable exploration of the castle. Had there been fewer death resets (thank goodness the game loads another attempt quickly) I may have thought differently about them but there were certainly moments of frustration. 

Where I think Inmost shines the brightest is the game’s sound design. The amount of detail added to the game’s feeling through sound is incredible. Different footsteps, monstrous groans, musical hits that match perfectly to the game, the sound design really elevates Inmost. Seriously, Inmost is worth playing with a good set of headphones just to hear the insanely good soundtrack. The voice lines are delivered expertly as well.

Honestly, the gameplay is what kept me from truly loving Inmost. 

I am not sure if Inmost is a game that I should recommend to everyone, shouting about it from the rooftops, or a game that attempts something but ultimately falls flat. For the most part, I really enjoyed the beats of the game’s narrative. Yet, I still feel like there could’ve been a more succinct way to tell this tale. At the conclusion, I was left with some confusion that feels like something left open for interpretation. Unfortunately, these are the elements that I wanted clearly defined to have other moments be more interpretive or symbolic. For those that can make it through some messy gameplay moments, this may be a story that resonates better with others, but I didn’t walk away as satisfied as I would have liked. 

Some equate the value of games to the number of hours spent, a school of thought I wholly reject. Playing Inmost to the end takes about four to five hours, depending on how thorough the player is with collectibles and listening to all of the lore bits. I enjoyed those little nuggets of world-building, especially when the statements became more philosophical. Most people can finish the game pretty quickly and may not care about these extra details. I will say that the ending segment makes a bold choice and, while I thought it was cool, I can see how others would groan when the credits roll. Additionally, the reward for getting all of the collectibles is amusing but not satisfying for the amount of effort it takes. 

All in all, I think that the developers really went for their vision wholeheartedly but I think that Inmost as a game could have been much better. Maybe it’s the visual style holding it back or the way the narrative is constructed but overall Inmost is a game with a story I found compelling with meaningful messages that just ultimately didn’t land with me. That said, for fifteen dollars and an evening or two of playing, Inmost is worth trying out.

Regardless of my thoughts on Inmost as a game, I really hope to see more from these developers, even if that ends up being a comic or an animation. There is a drive here that is palpable and I hope they get to create more. 

SCORES

GAMEPLAY - 4/10

VISUALS - 7/10

SOUND - 10/10

CONTROLS - 6/10

REPLAY VALUE - 5/10

OVERALL - 6.4/10

Learn more about Inmost on the official website. 

For more reviews of games that lean heavily on their stories, read our thoughts on the puzzle-platformer Evan’s Remains or the divisive The Last of Us Part II.