Asfalia: Fear

The Asfalia series, developed by the indie studio Funtomata, offers a collection of point-and-click games designed to help families experience stories together that positively portray negative emotions. This interactive approach aims to teach children how to manage these emotions effectively, providing a supportive environment for learning and growth. Asfalia is based on Paul Eckman’s emotion theory which identifies happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust as the six basic human emotions. This, combined with the theory of the different stages of grief eventually materialized into four different games: Anger, Fear, Sadness and Joy.

It all sounds too heavy and has too much symbolism for young audiences, but in fact Asfalia games are very playful, colorful and joyful, designed to be simplistic enough for kids to enjoy them, yet interesting enough for adults to also be hooked into their stories. They strike a good balance between childish candor and adult seriousness, while also managing to deliver their educational message in a rather subtle way.

So far, two games have been released on Steam: Asfalia: Anger and Asfalia: Fear. They can be played independently of each other, as the stories are designed to be episodic. In both games, the player takes the role of Charlie, a young boy who ventures into a fantasy world of emotions called Asfalia. In Asfalia: Anger, Charlie’s journey begins when he becomes frustrated after his pet refuses to play with him. In Asfalia: Fear, Charlie is drawn into the same magical realm during a stormy day, overwhelmed by fear as he searches for his puppies who ran away from the bad weather.

Despite its title, Asfalia: Fear is not a horror game. In fact, there are no scary elements, no dreadful scenes, no jumpscares, no creepy sounds. Nosferatu becomes Kniferatu – a friendly knife with a Dracula cape that spends his time playing video games. There are some ghost characters, but they look like colorful variations of Casper and they’re all very amicable and radiant. There’s a graveyard location, but the tombstones are meant to give players a good laugh, as they’re written in a very witty manner. So all in all, the game successfully turns any potentially fear-inducing element into a positive, fun experience.

When it comes to gameplay, the classic point-and-click mechanics are well implemented and made even more accessible compared to similar games of the genre. Items that Charlie collects are stored in his inventory, and during puzzles, the correct item is automatically used without requiring the player to test every possible combination. Dialogue options are clearly marked to indicate whether they advance the story, lead to a side quest, or are simply for casual conversation with a character. Completing notable actions or quests rewards players with glittery stickers (or fragments of them), which can later be admired in a sticker album. While there is no hint system, the linear story and straightforward gameplay ensure that players won’t feel the need for one.

Asfalia: Fear features 36 Steam achievements, some of them being missable, while others are mutually exclusive. Fortunately, the chapter selection feature that is unlocked after the first pass of the game allows players to revisit specific sections to unlock missed achievements. This also facilitates a second playthrough to obtain achievements that were inaccessible due to prior choices. The most challenging achievement is the one that requires players to reach a high score in a Space Invaders-style arcade minigame, which proves to be a real skill test. While its difficulty contrasts with the game’s otherwise cozy and family-friendly tone, it may have been designed to provide a nostalgic challenge for adults playing alongside children.

With its engaging gameplay, endearing characters brought to life through amazing voice acting, a heartfelt story, exceptional hand-drawn art and an overall friendly atmosphere, Asfalia: Fear stands out as a delightful choice for some quality family gaming time.