Inmost Review

It’s not very often that we get games that immediately grip you from their first cutscene. A lot of titles slowly build up suspense over time but when a game immediately takes hold, that’s when you know you’re in for a treat. Inmost does exactly this. The opening sequence is captivating, dramatic and highly atmospheric. This sets the tone for the adventure and solidifies the entirely mysterious premise into being. Hauntingly beautiful is what Inmost self-describes itself as, and this barely does it justice because it’s so much more than that.

Inmost is a game that follows 3 seperate playable characters on their own respective journeys through a cursed world. Players will play as an old man, a child and a knight at various points in the game. These 3 characters and their stories are woven together masterfully. Without spoiling too much, Inmost makes a point of atmosphere, and the game’s graphics and gameplay deliver on this in every single scene.

Gameplay in Inmost involves players puzzle platforming their way through the game world. Players will have to look at the environment and find objects which they can interact with. You’ll be able to examine these items and obtain clues or hints from NPCs which will help you try to solve puzzles and progress onward. The NPCs you can talk to are few and far between but they give up tidbits of lore and other information which help build up the story.

The puzzles on offer in Inmost are all manageable with none of them ever becoming frustrating. The game has been designed to be played through in one go but thankfully, it is broken up into chapters. The Nintendo Switch version of Inmost features new content not seen in previous versions of the game and these are quite welcome.

Puzzle solving itself involves using the environment and items in it. For example, in an early part of the game players will have to fire a giant crossbow to destroy an object. In another section you’ll have to use a series of levers and pulleys to hoist a fuel can up to a generator. The puzzles are fairly straightforward but do offer up some challenge in the later parts of the game. This also helps in that it keeps you focused on learning more about the game’s world and the story that lies within.

When you swap over to another character the game takes on a different approach based on who you are playing as. The child’s sections concentrate a lot more on the story itself and less on adventuring. The knight’s sections are primarily centred around combat and fighting off darkness creatures. All three tales however are intertwined masterfully.

Graphically, Inmost looks flat out amazing. The pixel artstyle is great and the effects used in the game are just as good. There’s a real sense of dread that the game imparts to the player in the early chapters and you’ll honestly feel a bit scared to progress because of what may lie ahead.

The soundtrack in Inmost is also fantastic with a great main theme and creepy atmospheric music and sound effects throughout. There isn’t a lot of voice acting in the game but Cassandra Lee Morris’s narration is excellent. The only gripe with the game lies with the fact that it’s over quite quickly at around 3 to 5 hours worth of gameplay.

Overall, Inmost is a must-play puzzle platformer if you own a Nintendo Switch. The game runs great and being able to pick up and play it on the go works well with its chaptered segments. We highly recommend you play it one go though to make full sense of the entire story. If you’re a fan of puzzle platformers with a lot of heart, Inmost will definitely satisfy you with its dark undertones and excellent storytelling.

Inmost was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch, the game is also available on PC through Steam.

Inmost is Developed by Hidden Layer Games and published by Chucklefish.

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