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When a game has a gimmick, how good the game will turn out to be is solely dependent on how well it’s taken advantage of and expanded upon. Ideally, it doesn’t wear out its welcome and become stale in mere minutes. As soon as I caught wind of Scanner Sombre, I wanted to give it a try thanks to its vibrant colors, eerie vibe, and unique game mechanic. From the makers of Prison Architect and Darwinia, I finally got a hold of it during the latest Steam sale. Here’s how it turned out!

The aforementioned unique mechanic is that the entirety of Scanner Sombre is played in pitch black. The only thing you can truly see in your FPS viewpoint is the scanner which you hold in your right hand. You’re going to need this scanner every single second you play, as it illuminates your surroundings in a rainbow atmosphere. Red indicates foliage close to you, and green signifies things farther away from you.

The novelty in which Scanner Sombre revels is that it’s a mystery unfolding before your very eyes in a brief but memorable experience. There’s just enough game to tide players over, and plenty of new mechanics to shake things up from location to location. You’re also accompanied with some text that gives a bit of background to why you’re spelunking and what you hope to uncover. This serves to provide a taste of lore to help add immersion.

While it’s only hinted at in the game’s Steam page, there are horror elements mixed in, as if being in complete darkness isn’t scary enough on its own. With only a few moments of music, the empty caves create tension with water droplets and your own heavy footsteps stomping the different terrains. Enemy encounters only occur if you walk off the beaten path, but gave me shivers and ensured I took account of every step in the area to avoid them from there on out.

I could only imagine how magnificent this game would be with some procedural generation and more to explore, but past reviews have given the impression that the scanning mechanic gets old fast; personally, I found the game’s 2-hour length to be just right, as it didn’t drag out too long, but gave enough content and a few memorable moments to stick with me in the end. Games that go out of their way to be different are hit or miss, and Scanner Sombre is more of the former.

If it weren’t for the less-than-$1 price tag during sales, Scanner Sombre may have been easily passed on during my time spent purchasing. I’d say this is a more-than-fair price for such a standout indie title, even if it isn’t Introversion Software’s best game. When I think about how much I grabbed at the dollar store today, I’d consider getting a solid video game for less than any one of those items a steal, in fact! If the screenshots above entice you, I guarantee Scanner Sombre is right up your alley.

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Scanner Sombre

$5.99 USD

9

Score

9.0/10

Pros

• Memorable Mechanic
• Vibrant Scenery
• Compelling Atmosphere

Cons

• Very Short Length