(Image courtesy of SteamDB. “‘Ib’ follows the titular young girl through a surreal art gallery.”)
Carolina Tavares
Connector Contributor
“Ib” is a singleplayer pixel JRPG game originally released by Japanese developer kouri in 2012 and remastered in 2022 on Steam. The game is set in a fictional art gallery, wherein the titular character, Ib, steps into a painting and needs to escape a bizarre alternate reality in which the exhibits in the gallery come to life. The game boasts an “overwhelmingly positive” rating on Steam, with many players citing its storytelling and ambience as primary reasons they enjoy the game.
The main storyline of the game follows the protagonist Ib as she visits an art gallery with her parents. The game begins in a predictable manner – her parents chide her, telling her not to cause a ruckus, but Ib is ultimately given free rein to explore the gallery and its exhibits. As she approaches a peculiar painting – the only one on its floor – the lights in the gallery flicker and go out.
What follows then is the realization that she is alone in the gallery and has no choice but to enter the exhibit – which beckons her to come forth, saying “Come Ib… I’ll show you a secret spot.” She enters the painting and finds herself in a “fabricated world,” wherein the art installations have, inexplicably, come to life.
The game has simple and straightforward controls. The player moves with either their keyboard or D-pad, and can interact with objects in the gallery to solve puzzles. In certain areas, to progress in the game, the player needs to solve puzzles, number riddles, or quick-time events to continue moving forward. These puzzles are often cited as a highlight of the game for their simplicity yet effectiveness in keeping the gameplay engaging.
What shines most in the game, however, are the characters. In the alternate gallery, Ib meets another person from the real world, named Garry. Garry’s amiable character, as well as the friendship and protective bond he forms with Ib, is a highlight of the gameplay. While Garry is in your party, you can interact with him by pressing a separate button that allows him to comment on a variety of topics – for example, where he and Ib are at in the gallery, an event that just happened to them, or how he hopes they can both escape.
Another interesting character dynamic gets introduced when Ib and Garry meet another survivor of the real world, named Mary. Mary is a young girl who appears to be around Ib’s age, who immediately gets attached to Ib and talks about how she’d like to escape together. Mary’s jovial and sometimes childish character adds a new layer of interactions to the group – but something about her seems off. Could there be more to Mary than meets the eye?
The player mostly controls Ib during the game, with rare exceptions. There is one area of the gallery where the player can switch controls between Ib and Garry. In Garry, however, there lies
another interesting game mechanic; with twice the amount of health points that Ib has, he is especially helpful in scenarios where there are lots of enemies that the player must avoid.
This, compounded with the perspective switches between Ib and Garry, makes for an interesting use of each character’s HP stats. This switch, where the player is allowed to assume control of each character independently, helps the other character solve puzzles in their respective area of the map.
Another standout feature of the game is its ability to create a suspenseful atmosphere. In such a simple, 2D environment, the game’s original soundtrack and diverse level design is extremely effective in its ability to create creepy and off-putting feelings in the player as they delve deeper into the fabricated world.
The threat of exhibits chasing the player, along with masterful use of sound and silence, make for a very compelling atmosphere. One such example of this sound design is the moment Ib realizes she is alone in the gallery – at that moment, all the music cuts out, and is replaced by the sound of footsteps that stop and start erratically.
There’s also the fact that there are over 100 unique paintings and sculptures created for the game – a lot of which are unnerving and uncanny – that serve to bolster this sinister atmosphere.
These aspects, along with the multiple endings that players can achieve, make “Ib” a wonderful candidate to replay several times. This game has no shortage of personality, charm, and wit, which is sure to keep players ensnared by the story of this fabricated world.
Grade: A
