Review: Children of Silentown Will Mess You Up in the Good Way

Developed by Elf Games, Children of Silentown is one of those experiences that fall in the category of potential life-changing events. Well, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but this reminded me when I did my first play through of Journey. I felt every feeling that there is to feel in that game, and I’m pleased to say that I felt some similar in this one. And quite honestly, I don’t know which game I like more. But what I do know, is that this game is what video games should be. A great surprise for me, it represents one of the best experiences I have gone through in a while. Without further ado, here is my review of Children of Silentown.

Children of Silentown Biggest Takeaways

• The story and its characters are compelling, well-structured, and the game has a memorable world.
• Puzzle design is great and will challenge you to the best of your abilities.
• The art is the perfect combination of eeriness, creepiness and with a pinch of cute.
• Replayability is an asset in this game.

Final Score: 9/10

A Tale of Loss

For me, the story of a game, regardless of the genre, is one of, if not, the most important part of video game design. It may be a puzzle, an RPG, or even a racing game, but there always has to be a story behind. It will keep that game up and running, defining characters, a setting, objectives, the main issue to resolve, etc. Personally, I have never liked point and click games. I have a need for action and speed that sometimes I need to cover in order to feel good and comfortable with a game. But I’m willing to leave all of that behind. One condition, though: the game’s main story must take my breath away. And well, in the case of Children of Silentown, I have been breathless since I started to play it.

In a world where everyone keeps silent and naively blind to the world that surrounds them, the people in Silentown live in perfect fear and with their heads down. All of them waiting to not be abducted by the monsters of the forest. Everyone, well, except our protagonist, of course. A 12-year-old girl named Lucy that wonders what is lurking outside Silentown. All of this fueled by everyone else by not caring to look for their disappearing friends and family. Eventually, going to the forest will stop being a prohibition and turn into a necessity once a loved one disappears. It is up to you to unveil the mystery of the forest, and bring your loved one back.

Phew, quite a world-building piece of art. And I was invested since the beginning all the way to the end. Maybe some puzzles felt a bit convoluted, or maybe I just suck at puzzle solving, but every single one of them paid off quite generously. An interesting fact, story, or memory of a certain character or just more information about the world that surrounded me. So, of course, I completed the game in one single sitting. Moreover, by the end of it, I was left wanting more. Story wise, this game has been one of the best ones I have played in quite a while.

Eerie and Unforgettable

In a world obsessed with hyperrealism, I feel like a game with the art of Children of Silentown is a breath of fresh air. Really cute and wholesome in a moment, and then completely terrifying in the other. Specially for those cutscenes between chapters, you know, nightmare fuel. Well, they were nightmares anyway, so good job! The game runs buttery smooth, and every different scene or setting has a unique aesthetic that prevents the game from falling into repetitiveness.

And the music? Oh well, I loved it. It is the perfect match to an eerie and heartwarming game. I could feel the terror of not wanting to turn and see the monsters behind me as well as the fear that encompasses the entire town of Silentown. Nostalgia, self-determination, horror, you name it. This game brings a lot of emotion to the table, and being a musician, I appreciate that the same amount of love has been invested in the music.

Mind Twisting Mystery

Point and click games are synonym with puzzle solving. Or at least that was my previous knowledge before playing Children of Silentown. Of course, this game brings a lot of that to the table, including traditional mini-games, but the main course of this meal are the day-to-day puzzles that you will need to solve. Finding kids, saving your cat, or fixing broken hearts. You name it, this game keeps your mind working all the way to the end. But that is not the best part.

The best part of all of these puzzles, is that every single one of them, and I mean it completely, leads to a piece of world or character building. This effectively makes the story and even the gameplay a little more complex and deep. And, for a gamer like me, makes me not want to drop the towel and give up in the middle of my session, because I want to discover what is next for Lucy and her story. And that feeling is perfectly controlled by the game’s puzzles.

This Game Will Mess You Up

Related: Children of Silentown – How to Find all Kids in Hide and Seek

I don’t want to spoil anything for you at all, but what I can say is that this game floored me a couple of times. It touches themes that hit very close to home, and I felt that I needed some cathartic release. This game allowed me to do that. There isn’t much to say really, I just encourage you to play this game with an open mindset and with patience. Like I said before, maybe some puzzles get overly complicated, at least for me, they did, but they are worth it. In fact, every single moment of this game is worth it, so you better pick up this game as soon as you can. Children of Silentown is a game that messed me up, in a good way, of course.

Children from Silentown is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows, and macOS. Please check out Gamer Journalist on Facebook to join the discussion and keep up to date with our content. You might also like to check out or guides on Children of Silentown – How to Get All Possible Endings or Children of Silentown – Mini-Games and How to Beat Them.