If on one side of a coin is the sentiment that there are “masterpiece” games worth playing regardless of a person’s affinity for genre, the flip side of that coin is there are imperfect games within genres that, despite their failings, are worth checking out if someone is a big fan of the genre. Rime falls into this second category for third-person adventure games. It’s a beautifully animated game with exploration- and puzzle-based challenges ranging from frustrating to satisfying, but its gameplay never feels more than just competent. What makes Rime noteworthy is its attempts to incorporate allegory and metaphor into its level design, environmental storytelling, and mechanics.

What I enjoyed about Rime
• Rime’s vivid, cel-shaded art style does a great deal of heavy lifting to make the game a satisfying experience. Not only did the art style draw me in, but its flexibility in supporting a great range of colors and brightness is critical in carrying the narrative of the game.
• The designers’ attempts to represent emotional labor through gameplay have stuck with me since I played the game almost 2 years ago. I don’t think they succeed entirely, but I love the intention behind using gameplay as overt metaphor.
• The adorable fox that accompanies the main character through their journey made me and my partner routinely go “aw!” and “oh my gosh!” just because of its cute design and animations.

Why you may not want to play Rime
• GENERALIZED SPOILER: Rime is a game about grief—specifically grief over losing a loved one. I wouldn’t suggest this game to anyone grieving a recent loss.
• While Rime has no actual combat, there are a couple sections in which you must avoid enemies. In a couple instances, the game does a poor job of communicating what can and cannot be used as cover or a safe path.
• In relation to the previous bullet, Rime suffers from the wonky controls and frustrating camera angles that seem endemic to every mid-tier third person game. While never game breaking, they’re hard to ignore.