Beacon Pines is a comfortable horror sport that hides an emotional thriller beneath cute characters

Like an awesome thriller novel, my favourite moments in Beacon Pines are once I know what’s about to occur.

Early on, important character Luka VanHorn makes an attempt to thwart his greatest pal’s older sister from dragging him dwelling for chores as an alternative of exploring a creepy warehouse collectively by being “just a little chill.” That technique fails spectacularly, but it surely was my solely possibility on the time. In a later scene, I gather a brand new Mad-Libs-like phrase selection “shit” and I immediately notice that being “just a little shit” to Roxy goes to work method higher. And so it does.

That is the primary main choice that splits the choose-your-own fashion journey Beacon Pines down the middle. It is only a bit extra interactive than a full-on visible novel—largely strolling, speaking, and inspecting objects—however with a comfortable horror degree of depth. The stakes of the plot maybe wind up a bit over the comfortable line by the point it is mentioned and completed, however come on. Have a look at it.

Beacon Pines seems cute off the cuff, populated with animal characters and its paintbrush storybook aesthetic, however just like the city itself has darker layers beneath. Not too darkish and never too scary, but it surely’s undoubtedly a narrative about swearing pre-teens, grief, bullying, and the sticky insecurities of friendship. Luka’s mother is lacking, Rolo’s household farm is struggling, and their recent third confederate Beck resents all the time being the brand new child due to her mother’s job.