During the New Year holidays I hit the point where I positively had enough of the atmosphere of cuteness, friendship and tranquility, and I decided to spice it up by adding a little Horror element to it all. That is when I stumbled on Sally Face, a seemingly typical indie game that nevertheless managed to stand out among its many counterparts of the point-and-click genre.
The game was released over time via a number of seasons and, although players had to wait for quite a long time, it was well worth it in the end. Sally Face features a very deep plot as well as an enjoyable length and striking gameplay. Sally Face kept me glued to the PC for a good 2 days.
Especially considering that everything, from the visuals to the music and plot, was crafted by a single person, Steve Gabry. He created an intricate universe, although it might not seem that way from the very beginning of the game. But as you spend more and more time adventuring, you will notice the complex characters, a ton of references, and more.
The first thing I want to mention is that the game was released in parts and I, like many others, waited a long time for the release of each episode. After all, they told and showed me the next chapter of this highly intricate plot that left players confused, scared and fascinated. Each chapter, not counting the first and the last, are about a couple hours long which is fully justified by the content and the mini-games, and that does not include trying to collect all the secrets.
So where does it all begin? No, no, I’m not going to tackle the plot just yet, there will be more about that later. Steve Gabry created Sally Face as a character back in 2007. Back then he simply drew a creepy hero and came up with the name on the spot. The character looked grotesque and scary, spotting a deformed body with a girl’s face sewn on.
Even then, the developer imagined Sally’s life in a multi-story house filled with strange tenants, and it was also the time for Larry’s prototype to appear. A lazy weed-lover that spends his time watching TV and wearing a cape like some type of superhero. Looking at these old concept arts, you can tell that Larry changed a lot, and all that remains of his old self are the letters on his chest. Even then, they were changed from LK (Lazy Kid) to SF, his favorite band.
Over a couple of months, Steve managed to come up with the story of Sally as well as all the residents of the strange house and the plot as the whole. It was also the moment that the sewn-on face was changed for a prosthetic mask.
Steve Gabry wanted to do something inspired by the ‘90s cartoons like Rem and Stimpy, Hey Arnold and Rocko’s Modern Life, but filled with darker, more adult themes. However, for almost 7 years the idea of this project lived only within Steve’s head, since for various reasons he couldn’t start the development just yet.
In 2010, Steve and his friends founded the Wither Studio which released their first and only game Crowman & Wolfboy, a mobile title that came out in 2013. A year later, when the game did not gain much traction, a number of developers left the studio, and Steve decided to work on his own project. This is when the game about Sally really took off.
In 2015, Steve began to create the first chapter of this exciting game all on his own in his free time. Let me remind you, every frame is drawn by hand, every musical note is created by Steve, everything that you can see and hear in Sally Face came from his hands. In the game his music is played by Sanity’s Fall, an imaginary hardcore metal band.
Now, let’s turn to the game itself and the story it tells. Note that there will be spoilers to the beginning of the game and the start of this adventure ahead, to give you a taste of what you can find yourself if you decide to take the plunge.
At the very beginning of Chapter One, we are introduced to the nightmares of our protagonist, Sally, that give players some hints about his dark past. On this journey, we will be greeted by a boy with a bloodied face wrapped in bandages. His nightmares will shed light on how Sally’s mother died, why his father blames him for it despite Sally not being a murderer, and much more. After the dream is over, players find themselves in the psychologist’s office where now older Sally speaks with the doctor Enon that urges him to talk about a certain corpse. And, judging by his words, there might very well be more than one…
This intricate story begins with Sally and his father moving into Addison’s multi-story building. Players get immediately immersed in the atmosphere of this unusual place and get to know it better alongside Sally. However, something very terrible had happened in the apartment next door – and now it is being guarded by a policeman. And once you get to the 5th floor, you can tell that something very unusual is happening there. The music changes, and the atmosphere becomes oppressive and creepy. Sally begins to see ghosts and realizes that the building he finds himself in is an old, otherworldly place. Now it is all up to you to find what exactly is going on here.
First, by wandering around the building, you can get to know your neighbors, the detective investigating a case, and others. And in the basement, you will find a new friend: Larry. However, if you look around his apartment, you can catch a glimpse of a shadow with red eyes that will disappear immediately after. Having gone into Larry’s room and gotten to know him might even make him decide to play Sally a track from his favorite band – Sanity’s Fall.
Just Larry’s room is filled with references to the brim: from Zelda to Half-Life to various bands and much, MUCH more. It even has a hint towards the very ending of the game, but you will only catch it by beating Sally Face and starting a new run again.
This is where the actual plot of the game begins. Larry will admit to being a witness of the murder in room 401 and, in order to help and give Sally a chance to investigate on his own, he will provide the boy with a walkie-talkie and promise to distract the policeman from the crime scene. What happened there? Who killed the room’s occupant and what served as the cause? All of that and more you can find by stepping into Sally’s shoes.
I sincerely hope you give Sally Face a chance and play through all 5 available chapters, while also paying close attention to secrets – it might not be easy, but they’re well worth it!
However, I will note right away that the plot of the game is very, very exciting and detailed. The sheer scope of elaboration and content-filling is amazing. Just answering characters’ questions in correct ways can earn you a lot of extra information. As for the ending… Together with the plot twists and unexpected revelations, at first it led me to complete bewilderment, but then, after replaying a few scenes, I finally understood what it was all about.
Sally Face is a point-and-click horror filled with mini-games and secrets, as well as a great amount of easter eggs, references and obscure little details. Various side-activities and mini-games allow you to take a breather from the plot, maybe even deepen it in some places, and also to make you think. Solving some puzzles required me to spend a long time fiddling with the gamepad and figuring out the way.
Note that many on-screen clues are hidden and some optional objects will not display a label above them as you’re expected to find them on your own. Most of the game consists of interacting with the story objects or talking to the people you meet.
The narrative, divided into episodes, periodically takes sharp turns, bringing certain seemingly strange story decisions to an unexpected finale.
It is noticeable that the author tries different approaches in all chapters while maintaining the general mechanics with dialogues, finding key items or solving simple puzzles, most of which are quite easy to understand. Although some additional ones that are not required to progress the plot can be quite a bother. In order to open at least part of the secrets, you have to find 4 hidden numbers while you are still in your dream. Otherwise, without them, you will not be able to play through the sequence that allows Sally’s Game Boy to play the mini-games that further enrich the story.
For those who loves narrative immersion, interesting storylines, mini-games and horror, Sally Face is a must try. The game will captivate and keep you going for a long time. Among the indie horrors, Sally Face is among the best there is.
