Ib

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