Bubble

Bubble is an adventure game created by MoonChildGames as part of a school project. It is a rather calm game with a hint of a mystery and an interesting setting that has been seen before but is played quite straight this time around.

The story focuses on Lilly, a young woman who, quite literally, lives in a Bubble. The world outside became uninhabitable during a calamity and she, as well as others, live out their lives knowing little about the world outside bar what they learn from media and the memories of those who lived out there before the great destruction. One day she meets with her friend, Jill, who works in Security, and finds herself caught up in the mystery of Jill's disappearance the day after their meeting.

The story is well told, but if you're expecting huge twists and turns, you may wish to look elsewhere. The game plays it straight and while that can be a bit off-putting after you go through the paces, it's refreshing in its simplicity. Instead the game attempts to create an atmosphere of friendly every-day life in a bubble shelter. It starts off well doing so, however it fails to fully pull it off. Granted this was made as a project for school, so it's hard to tell what the real intent of the game was. It's still a pleasant experience however.

The music is, in a word, funky. There's some really nice tunes in here but some do get a bit on the nerves if played for too long. For the most part they work well, however there is a large part of the game where there is no music and while it makes sense to have no music in that area, it also feels odd after the rest of the maps that do have music on them.

Sound effects are well enough. They do the job and they do it well.

Graphically the game uses RTP and it's a bit bare in it's use. There are some custom pieces here and there and they do fit in quite well. The art pieces are really nice, I thought, and helped sell the idea of living in a literal corporate balloon. The mapping, however, could definitely have been better, but that said, it did serve its purpose.

The main issue with the game is that there are a fair few spelling mistakes through-out. This is very noticeable and detracts from the experience. There are also a few times when capital letters are misused, possibly by typing too fast. There are also a few parts where you can walk on tiles that should not be walkable, such as bookcases and beds. This is a pity because the rest of the game is solid.

Overall, it's a nice little game with some slightly dark undertones that aren't really hidden. You don't get to experience these dark undertones as Lilly, however there are a few times you feel an expectation of that darkness coming to get you. Unfortunately, that never occurs, but it's a nice addition to a small story like this.

Good job. I look forward to seeing you progress as a developer.