Pryzm Review: A Pixel Art Survival Mystery That Balances Horror and Replayability
Pryzm is a survival adventure mystery game developed by Troy Chin, also known as DrearyWeary, a Singaporean comic artist and game developer. The game blends visual novel elements with turn-based combat in a unique hand-drawn pixel art style.
The story follows six friends on a weekend getaway who end up in a mountain area haunted by an ancient secret. Players must manage characters, maintain their clarity, and make crucial survival choices throughout the 1-2 hour gameplay sessions. Each playthrough offers changing escape parameters, encouraging multiple runs to explore different outcomes.
Pryzm’s strongest feature is its storytelling. The well-written dialogue brings characters to life, creating emotional connections that make player choices feel impactful. The non-linear structure allows for scenes to play out in different orders, enhancing replayability and the sense that decisions matter.
Visually, the game’s pixel art is consistent and showcases the developer’s comic artist background. A minimal audio track effectively sets a gloomy atmosphere, complementing the horror-themed narrative.
The turn-based combat system, reminiscent of classic JRPGs, adds variety to the gameplay but may feel disconnected for some players. Combat rules could be better explained, potentially leading to frustration. However, during dialogue and battle sequences, the clarity management system introduces an interesting resource management element.
Pryzm encourages replayability through features that allow players to improve their performance, explore the lore, and optimise resource management. An online leaderboard for speedruns provides an additional challenge for competitive players.
While the combat system may not appeal to all, Pryzm’s narrative strength, visual style, and replayability make it an intriguing choice for fans of visual novels and survival mysteries. Players seeking a short but intense horror story with multiple paths and outcomes will likely find Pryzm a satisfying experience. Pryzm is available on Steam now.
