Introduction

My Brother Rabbit is a new hidden objects and puzzle adventure game published and developed by Artifex Mundi.  The game is set in a young girl’s imagination as she battles against an illness which causes her to dream up this crazy surreal world that the game is set in.  This plot setup has given the artists at Artifex Mundi creative inspiration to create some of the most beautiful, twisted and slightly macabre art that draws you deeper into this fantastical world.

My Brother Rabbit is available now on Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Windows & Mac OS for £11.99 as a digital only title and I would highly recommend the game at this price point.  But let’s get into my review.

 

 

 

 

Graphics, Music & Sound

My Brother Rabbit is beautiful.  Taking aside the fact that it is a game, I could quite happily print these screenshots off and hang them on my wall.  Throughout your adventure you are presented with a screen like the one above and have to find various hidden objects and solve puzzles within them.  Each screen tells it’s own story where some of it makes sense and some of it doesn’t but they all add up to pull you deeper into this surreal world.  The artwork looks like children’s illustration mixed with surrealism with a style reminiscent of a Tim Burton film.  The animals and other characters in the world are beautifully drawn and animated and although if they were placed in almost any other setting they makes sense in this world, they fit.

The use of colours here is extraordinary and in there is this mixed sense of jubilation and foreboding given that there is always this slightly sinister look to everything, perfectly conveying the feeling that this world was created by a child’s fever dream.  The artwork could be given it’s own review in and of itself.  It really is some of Artifex Mundi’s best work to date, which the developer’s artists always create beautiful and interesting art for their games.

 

Music is also used to great effect here to further compliment the artwork.  The main theme that plays on the title screen is a beautiful song that was sang by Emi Evans, who has worked on Nier: Automata and the Dark Souls series.  Her song “Dreams” as well as the rest of the orchestral score was written and composed by Arkadiusz Reikowski (Layers of Fear, Seven: The Days Long Gone).  From this amazing track on the title screen and throughout the game the music is fantastic and has been perfectly arranged to further compliment the gorgeous art style and deepen your immersion into this world.  Sound effects are very good as well, perhaps not as important as the art and music in the game but still very well done and further compliments the tone of the game.

 

 

 

 

Gameplay

Gameplay in My Brother Rabbit is a mixture of finding hidden objects scattered across each screen.  Finding all of a particular object will unlock a new puzzle to complete.  Whilst I have to be honest, personally the hidden object genre that Artifex Mundi specialises in isn’t usually my cup of tea.  But here although to be perfectly honest sometimes I found finding all the hidden objects somewhat of a chore I was motivated to find them all so I could get to the next puzzle.  Because the puzzles are excellent.  They are, for the most part, tried and true puzzles you’ve probably seen before maybe even in other games.  Like match mathematical puzzles where you have to remove one match to solve the sum.  A maze where you have to roll balls through it and get them to the end.  Card matching memory puzzles.  And other such classic puzzle types.  I enjoyed all of these but your mileage may vary.

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

My Brother Rabbit is a beautiful piece of art.  I enjoyed every moment of it, which the game lasts roughly 4 hours.  Each screen is beautiful with captivating music and a fantastically surreal tone that I very much enjoyed.  The hidden objects parts are not to my tastes but I very much enjoyed the puzzles albeit slightly wishing they were a little more original rather than relying on tried and tested types.  I think the price point is pitched about right at £11.99 for what’s on offer here and would recommend the game if it sounds like something you would enjoy.  It hasn’t really changed my mind on hidden objects games personally but I did find My Brother Rabbit to be a wonderful exception and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it.

 

 

8/10

Great!

 

Publisher: Artifex Mundi

Developer: Artifex Mundi

Platforms: Xbox One (reviewed), PS4, Nintendo Switch, Windows & Mac OS

Release Date: Out Now

RRP: £11.99