In my early teens one of my favourite gaming memories is playing Grim Fandango on the PC when it first released. I had never played the likes of Monkey Island or Full Throttle before it, but the art style of the game and character design of Manny Calavera drew me in immediately. I spent untold amount of hours trying to figure out the puzzles in that game, but eventually after a good two months and a few quick glances at an online walkthrough I finished it.
Since that moment I have always had a soft spot for the genre. I seek out a good point and click adventure and look forward to all the strange quirks that inevitably comes with it. The joy you get when you finally figure out that two seemingly useful items that have been collecting dust in your inventory for half the game now hold the key to progression. These type of games aren’t for everyone, but if you enjoy the slower pace of gaming there is a lot of fun to be had.
Being a huge Grim Fandango fan you can imagine my excitement the first time I saw a screenshot of The Wardrobe. Aesthetically it holds many similarities, although the tone and setting are a lot different. The story starts with Skinny and his friend Ronald out in a field having a picnic as they often did. Ronald gives Skinny a plum, which upon swallowing somehow results in our protagonist untimely death.
Instead of being a good friend or even an adequate human being Ronald runs away crying, leaving his friends corpse on the grass. A few hours pass and Skinny’s body is whisked up into the air, his skin dissolves and he is tossed into Ronald’s wardrobe, which to us looks like a coffin, but it is implied that Ronald and other living characters would simply see it as a wardrobe. Now you would be forgiven for thinking this is a pretty grim and graphic intro, but the scene and the entire game is all played out in a comedic manor.
You then begin your journey a few years later on moving day. Ronald hasn’t spoken a word since the day of your death and the crux of the plot is that you now need to convince him to open up to someone about what happened within the next few days to save him from damnation. Making this more difficult is on the morning you decide to make contact Ronald and his family have moved house. So you spend the game dealing with removal men and strange characters around the town as you try to get to Ronald’s new home.
The story, in truth, is the weakest part of the game. You never feel a connection with Ronald which makes the journey feel less important. Thankfully, propping the whole game up is some great humour and pop culture references. One of the first rooms you enter is a bathroom where amongst other things you will find a rubber duck and a bear skin rug. Each time you touch the duck the bear comes to live and asks you to take your hands of his lady. It’s little moments like this where The Wardrobe really shines and makes you laugh.
In-fact, I think you would struggle to find a single scene in the game that doesn’t have at least one call back to something from a game or movie. Throughout my time with the game I was constantly taking screenshots to send to friends on group chats. You can really tell that this was a passion project for the development team and it shows.
Graphically the game is fairly simple with a cartoonish hand drawn art style that is very similar to the likes of Monkey Island, Full Throttle and other 2D point and click games. The music is basic, but the voice acting really well done and each character does a good job with their role.
In terms of puzzle difficulty I found the game fair for the most part. It wouldn’t be a point and click game without a few head scratching puzzles thrown in there but I learned long ago that if you find yourself getting frustrated with a game, seek advice on the internet. Games are a form of entertainment and something I use to relax. I have no qualms about looking up the answer to something in order to progress.
Trophy wise it is also a good list. 7 
Overall I really enjoyed my time with The Wardrobe. The story left a little to be desired but the characters, the humour, the setting and mostly the really fun pop culture references made this a game I will remember for a long time. There aren’t many games I play for the first time and they give me a nostalgic feeling but congratulations to C.I.N.I.C Games because they pulled that off here.
VdZe.
Reviewed on PS4. Also available on PC and Nintendo Switch. Review code provided by the publisher.