Ib is an exploration/horror/puzzle game developed by Kouri. Having been developed in RPG-maker, and bearing some aesthetic similarities, comparisons to Yume Nikki might be inevitable, but Ib proves to be, both in style and execution, a very different experience.
The game begins with
the main character, a young girl named Ib (pronounced 'Eeb'), visiting an art gallery with her parents. After exploring
for a while and looking at a few of the exhibits, she finds herself
alone. That's when things start getting weird.
As a horror
game, I found it pretty effective in scaring the crap out of me on
more than one occasion. One of the things that impressed me was how
well the game uses its setting. Rather than choosing an inherently
spooky location (hospital, graveyard, funfair, other clichés), Ib
highlights the subtle creepiness of the art gallery: the eerie
quietness; empty, sterile rooms, and glimpses into the unnerving
landscape of the artist's mind.
While short, Ib also
features multiple possible endings, with seemingly insignificant
decisions throughout the game influencing which ending you reach (as
well as affecting in-game events), giving you an incentive to play
through more than once and explore different possibilities.
For anyone interested in playing Ib, you can download the
game for free here: http://www.vgperson.com/games/ib.htm
