Technical Information

Developer: Sonoshee
Publisher: Sonoshee
Release Date: June 3, 2021

A surreal point-and-click psychological horror game divided into five tales, each set in a different season and a specific location on planet Earth.

Final Considerations – Analyzing the Game as a Whole

Graphics and UI

The monochromatic pixel art graphics have their charm, but during gameplay they end up creating a certain visual clutter.

The animations are a show in themselves. They’re not present at all times, but they appear in unexpected moments. They’re simple, yet they make a strong impact on immersion.

The game itself is very intuitive. You just click. Click to walk, click to talk.
Everything is responsive, making a tutorial unnecessary.
On the left side, there’s a brief description of your name, age, date, location, and temperature (?).
The temperature information doesn’t affect anything in the game, it only makes the context feel even more bizarre.

Soundtrack and Sound Effects

The music and sound effects are really cool. They give off a technological vibe while also feeling mysterious. They were an essential part of creating strong immersion.

Gameplay

I’m still processing everything I experienced in this game. It’s a wild mix of a full-on acid trip, spirituality, and psychological horror. An extremely bizarre yet unique and unforgettable game!

The gameplay is simple: you just click through the environment, walk around, and interact with characters. There are five paths in total, each with its own puzzles and a specific number of endings.
Overall, the endings are easy to achieve.

The only ending I truly couldn’t complete was the Dragon’s, because of the typewriter puzzle. I couldn’t understand its logic, even after checking a walkthrough. :/

The idea behind Critters for Sale is that each path and each ending should be short. That’s why there’s no save feature during gameplay, but unlocked endings remain saved.

I played the tales in the order they appear on the selection screen. At first, nothing made sense, I felt very lost about what the “true ending” was and what the story’s actual purpose might be. But after completing some routes, I noticed that the stories indirectly complement each other in certain aspects. In some way, the game always revolves around experiences with non-human entities, whether leaning toward something more esoteric or extraterrestrial.

The game blends various concepts from religions and occultism with aliens, mythological beings, and historical figures.

It opens up a wide range of interpretations, but personally, I don’t think there’s any clear explanation or metaphor, it feels more like a cluster of unique experiences meant to mess with your sense of reality and imagination.
And the cherry on top: the Portuguese localization turned out great!

Replayability and Game Retention

Because there are multiple routes, you’ll play and replay it several times to unlock all the endings. It’s interesting to test different combinations, since everything is so trippy that you can’t help but feel curious about how each outcome will unfold.

I really liked it, I recommend it wholeheartedly! And I’m absolutely sure it’s the kind of game I’ll come back to from time to time just to feel everything all over again.

I love crazy, off-the-wall games, and this was another one that completely hooked me.