Spleen PC

Spleen is a game developed and published by a small studio from Montreal - Pamplemousse Games. The game combines different genres such as action RPG, platformer and life simulator. The hand-drawn game tells the story of Johann, who can't cope with everyday life and finds a door to a magical world, where he can become a child again and start fighting his demons.

Plot

Johann, the hero of the game, is a young man who cannot find his place in the world where only the expectations of adulthood await him. Falling into increasing melancholy and sadness, the protagonist more and more often thinks back to his childhood, which for him was a time of carefree adventures. So when one day he discovers an ability that allows him to travel to a world where he can become a child again, he does not hesitate for a moment. Especially as it's a chance to teach Spleen a lesson - a terrifying entity that grows in strength as melancholy poisons Johann.

Mechanics

The game is set on two planes - one is the real world and the other is a metaphorical world full of nostalgia. In the real world, we decide what the protagonist's day should look like, what activities he should undertake and who he should meet in order to deepen his bonds with either his colleagues or his family. This segments primarily fit into the frames of a life simulator. On the other hand, the magical world, where our hero can become a child again, turns into an arcade action game, where we fight enemies born of the negative emotions that torment him and explore various locations in search of lost memories. Both of these worlds influence each other, and in order to help Johann find his way in life and enjoy it, we need to make progress in both of them.

Technical aspects

Spleen is a 2D hand-drawn cartoon-style game, in which, depending on the location of the action, a different colour palette is used - either toned down, or extremely saturated and colourful.

Last updated on 25 August 2023