Red Balloon of Happiness

Hello and welcome to another review for the series "Horror games of Halloween!"
This time I looked at Red Balloon of Happiness, a game developed by an entire squad of devs, such as...

Irog (Developer)
Avee (Graphics)
Luiishu535 (Music)
Frogge (Voice acting)

... for the Halloween Horror event 2016! Oh yeah, obviously!
But do not expect a typical horror game, not at all. I'm sure that when you will try this game you will be surprised as much as I was. Oh yes. But let's start with the story.
Wait... ok the beginning is abrupt: no intro, nothing ad all, just a red balloon floating inside a house. That red baloon is you and you can move, to discover the story. Yes there is a story, with characters involved, the aim is to learn it!

Ok so this red balooon (no other colors accepted!) will bring happiness and joy to someone? This depends if and how you complete this adventure game: as a red balloon you can float and must avoid every pointed and/or sharp item (from boken bottles to glass shards). Just a touch and our red alter ego will explode (but luckily you can respawn without problems!).


I have no mouth and I must scream, I have no hands and I must collect keys!

This little red balloon is rather special because not only it can open doors but even collect and use keys! Amazing! But yes, something eerie and strange is happening, during the game voices fills the air and in some cases questions are asked.
Yes, to the red balloon, and the answers (yes/no) are written directly with the keyboard even if it is not showed anything. But it works, so it is ok!

Later, as time pass, it becomes dark. Flashlight or torch? Oh no, using the mouse it is possible to light a match, and to move it around (while the keyboard is still used to move the balloon). Guess what happens if the lighted match touches the ballon? Heh I guess you already know, so pay attention!

So this game is basically an adventure/exploration game (there is no urgence or action involved), I could call it a "walking simulator" but obviously there is no walking involved. "Horror floating simulator" may be more accurate, and it's a really unique concept. The game is short but there are two endigs, and for one of the two it's necessary a walkthrough. Well I needed that!

Visually the game has a nice style, it's a side view of the various rooms, colorful and happy... apparently! There are many details, unique problem is that sometimes it is dofficult figuring out which are the dangerous items that may make the balloon explode. For the rest, no problem: pretty and also with right proportions.
Sounds and especially voiced parts are very cool as they contribuite to the atmosphere of dread and desperation.


It's dark here! Ok let's take the car and drive away from this cursed house!

Final Verdict
Red Balloon of Happines is one of the weirdest games I played: it is a dark adventure with an unlikely hero and story. It's scary but in a different way (these voiced parts are creepy!) and it cannot be explained, but just experienced. I mean, there are no real dialogues or interactions with other characters and yet there is a story and a seriously dark atmosphere that lies under the happy ordinary appearance of the house.

Only two problems I had are the difficulty of understanding the harmful objects (but you can assume that touching every pointed or sharp item equals death) and the total lack of guidance: it's a game about exploring, trying various actions, and watching what happens!

Obviously this is a short game, since it was made for an event, but one that will leave an impression. Pretty cool and unexpected, a real surprise.
Recommended, for those players who wants to play a really different kind of horror game!