I’ve always liked puzzle platformers, especially ones that do something different. Inside and Little Nightmares stuck with me—not just because of their puzzles, but because they made me feel like I was piecing together something bigger. When Shady Part of Me dropped out of nowhere, I had no idea what to expect. A puzzle game about a girl and her shadow, using light and darkness as the core mechanic? Sounded cool. I gave it a shot, and before I knew it, I was all in.
Developed by Douze Dixièmes, Shady Part of Me takes a simple idea and builds something surprisingly emotional around it. The game constantly shifts, both mechanically and narratively, keeping you on your toes. It’s short—just a few hours long—but it makes every moment count.
A Story Told in Shadows
The game doesn’t tell you much at the start. You wake up as a nameless girl in a strange, empty building. Maybe it’s a hospital. Maybe an orphanage. It’s never explained, and that uncertainty sets the tone. What’s clear is that she’s afraid—of the light, of moving forward, and maybe even of herself. Then, you meet her shadow, a more confident, independent version of her, and the two set off on their journey.
The game gives you just enough clues to speculate without ever handing you clear answers. The girl and her shadow talk constantly—sometimes working together, sometimes clashing. It’s obvious they represent different parts of the same person, but the game never spells anything out. Is this a literal escape or something deeper? I had my theories, but I liked that it let me decide.
That said, the storytelling feels distant at times. Because everything is so abstract, you’re mostly interpreting things rather than following a structured plot. The dialogue leans poetic, which works in some moments but feels forced in others. The themes of anxiety and self-acceptance come through, but I didn’t always feel fully connected to the characters. Still, as the game built toward its ending, I found myself more invested than I expected.
If you like stories that leave room for interpretation, it’s worth sticking with.
A Puzzle Game That Won’t Break Your Brain
Shady Part of Me is a puzzle platformer built around a clever dual-character mechanic. You control both the girl and her shadow, swapping between them at any time. The girl moves in a 3D space but can’t step into the light. The shadow moves in 2D along walls and objects but disappears if she touches darkness. Puzzles revolve around using both characters to manipulate the environment—moving objects, shifting light sources, and creating safe paths.
The game starts simple. Push a box to make a shadow, pull a lever to move a platform, figure out how to get both characters to the exit. But new mechanics keep things from getting stale. One moment, you’re stretching shadows across a room with a spotlight. Next, you’re flipping gravity, forcing you to rethink everything. The puzzles aren’t overly hard, but they’re satisfying to solve.
At one point, I spent five minutes stuck on a puzzle, convinced I had to time my movements perfectly. Turns out, I just had to adjust a light slightly to create the right path. One small change, and suddenly everything made sense. The game does a great job of making you feel smart without punishing you for taking a few wrong turns.
A rewind function lets you undo mistakes instantly, keeping things moving. No load screens, no frustrating resets—just a quick rewind so you can try again. It makes for a relaxing but still engaging experience.
If you’re after mind-bending puzzles, this might feel a little easy. But if you like platformers that focus on atmosphere and problem-solving without stress, Shady Part of Me is a solid pick.
A Hand-Drawn Dreamscape
The game goes for a hand-drawn, watercolour look that gives it a soft but slightly uneasy feel. The muted colours and shifting shadows create a dreamlike atmosphere, like a storybook that’s coming apart. Light and darkness aren’t just part of the visuals—they shape the entire world. Swapping between the girl and her shadow constantly changes how you see the environment, making even small areas feel dynamic.
One moment that stuck with me was when I walked into a room where the walls weren’t fully drawn—just faint outlines, waiting to take shape. As I solved the puzzle, the environment filled in like a painting coming to life. It was a simple effect, but it reinforced the idea that this world wasn’t stable, shifting alongside the girl’s emotions.
The soundtrack is subtle but effective. Mostly soft piano and ambient melodies, it sits in the background, setting the mood without ever demanding attention. Every now and then, the music swelled at just the right moment, making me pause to take it all in. It never overwhelms, but it adds a lot to the game’s tone.
The voice acting is a mixed bag. Hannah Murray does a solid job playing both the girl and her shadow, but the poetic dialogue sometimes makes lines sound unnatural. The girl’s voice is intentionally hesitant and uncertain—it fits her character, but I can see how it might grate on some people.
Visually and sound-wise, Shady Part of Me has a distinct identity. It doesn’t rely on flashy environments, but the way it plays with light, shadow, and music makes every scene feel intentional.
Shady Part of Me is a Short but Worthwhile Experience
Shady Part of Me is short, but it sticks with you. The puzzles are well-designed, the art style stands out, and the story gives you just enough to think about without over explaining. Some moments feel a little distant, and the dialogue doesn’t always land, but when it works, it works.
What stood out most was how well the game blends its mechanics with its atmosphere. The light-and-shadow puzzles could’ve easily gotten repetitive, but the game keeps things fresh by introducing new ideas at just the right time. Even though it’s not meant to be difficult, I still found myself thinking through each challenge. The rewind function kept everything moving, letting me experiment without frustration.
The biggest downside? It’s short. At around three to four hours, it’s over before it can really expand on its mechanics or themes. But that’s also part of its strength—it doesn’t drag things out. It’s the kind of game you can finish in one sitting and still walk away feeling like you played something worthwhile.
If you like puzzle platformers with a strong sense of style and a thoughtful approach to storytelling, Shady Part of Me is worth checking out. It may not hit the same highs as Inside or Little Nightmares, but it brings its own ideas to the genre in a way that’s easy to appreciate.
Shady Part of Me
Summary
Shady Part of Me offers a short but engaging puzzle platformer with clever light-and-shadow mechanics and a unique hand-drawn art style. The puzzles are satisfying, though on the easier side, and the rewind feature keeps the experience smooth. The abstract storytelling leaves room for interpretation, but the poetic dialogue may not land for everyone. With a great soundtrack and strong atmosphere, it’s a worthwhile pick for fans of thoughtful, narrative-driven puzzle games.
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