Release Date: September 10, 2015
A two-dimensional point ‘n’ click adventure game developed by the independent studio Tendershoot in cooperation with A Jolly Corpse. The title’s plot follows a clown named Dropsy who got lost after a fire in his circus and tries to find a new place for himself in the world. The gameplay is based on exploration of subsequent locations and solving the encountered problems and puzzles.
Dropsy for PC and iOS is an independent point ‘n’ click adventure game developed by Tendershoot, the creators of Hypnospace Enforcer. The studio cooperated with A Jolly Corpse which previously released Wyv and Keep, among other titles. The production was published by Devolver Digital that is known for such games as Shadow Warrior.
The plot is focused on presenting the life of a clown named Dropsy. The fire in the circus he worked in got the protagonist lost, and his once-famous name became meaningless. The players have to help him find his feet in the world again.
Dropsy for PC and iOS is a classical two-dimensional adventure game. The gameplay is based on exploration of the available locations and solving the encountered problems, usually having the form of various puzzles. The action takes place in an open world, so it is up to us how we complete tasks, where we go, and so on. It also influences the way we learn the story of the clown since we have to piece the fragments of the tale ourselves. Another interesting feature is the conversation system. Contrary to the classical choice of a dialogue option, the game uses icons that correspond to different reactions.
The production of Tendershoot uses the pixel art technique which is popular among indie developers. It is an artistic style that imitates games for the 8- and 16-bit consoles. Another highlight of the title is the atmospheric soundtrack composed by Chris Schlarb and his band.
Platforms:
PC Windows September 10, 2015
Apple iOS December 17, 2015
Nintendo Switch September 29, 2022
Developer: Tendershoot
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Age restrictions: 12+
Game Ratings for Dropsy Video Game.
GamingTrend: 85 / 100 by Sarah Marchant
Dropsy is a bit of an oddball game, so I wouldn't bet on it having wide appeal, but those who love it will really love it. It's a point-and-click title without written hints, making it inherently challenging, but because the quests involve helping people, solving puzzles feels that much more rewarding. It's such a heartwarming game, it's easy to forget that the protagonist is an accidentally murderous clown.
VideoGamer: 8 / 10 by Tom Orry
If you miss the old days, before games of this ilk got streamlined and simplified, give this a whirl before you read too much about it. It's well worth the small outlay.
Post Arcade (National Post): 9 / 10 by Matthew O'Mara
Dropsy is somewhat strange, utterly beautiful, and pretty good point and click adventure game. Focusing more on visual cues for what the characters desire, it's a game that leaves some of the story up to your interpretation.
Average score from votes.