Inmost is an atmospheric puzzle platformer from Hidden Layer Games, weaving the stories of a little girl, a knight and a middle-aged man into one interconnected tale. The full game was completed through the ending and the post-credits epilogue in around three hours.
The three-character structure gives each section its own movement identity, with the man’s long jump, the girl who cannot fall from high places and the knight who cannot jump but fights. The distinct abilities keep the puzzle platforming from settling into one pattern.
The knight’s corruption arc is the strongest set piece, with the screen taking on an increasingly red tinge as he becomes one of the creatures. The music builds to a crescendo through his descent, matching the visual change.
The pixel art is very pretty, and the horror atmosphere works through the black-sludge instant death, the hunter chases and the jump scares. The girl’s house segments add a different, quieter kind of dread.
The story reveal lands hard, with the heavy material clicking together at the end and the epilogue reframing the tale as one about love rather than pain. The story stays opaque for most of the run, needing the epilogue to click.
The pain-stone collectibles are needlessly obscure, hidden in weird places that require random jumping to find. The man’s jump is inconsistent, and the simple combat and some chase timings add frustration.
Overall, the pixel art, the atmosphere and the story make this a very good puzzle platformer. The hidden collectibles and the opaque narrative are the caveats.