In the first-person stealth game Skin Deep, you play as a “deep freeze insurance commando” who is defrosted whenever pirates board the space vessel you’re on. The ships are crewed by talking house cats with big personalities and poor information security. Your job is to save them from their captors when things go wrong. The full demo allows you to throw fishbones at elevator switches and overflow a laundry room with soap suds to make your enemies slip up. Be cautious, as it can have the same effect on you. The demo lasts about 90 minutes and showcases Blendo Games at their most playful.
The game is filled with great dialogue. For instance, when guards discuss torturing the hostage crew, they decide on shaving the cats for information. Nina, with disdain for the interlopers, reminds them that shaving cats goes against the Geneva Convention. The guards’ life-saving skull gizmos allow them to resurrect and continue their mindless antics, like repeatedly running into lethal flame jets.
The gameplay features colorful capers with unique abilities and items labeled with funny instructions. Pepper can daze pirates, soap dispensers emit a flammable aroma that can be ignited, and mimicking a bad guy’s voice over a walkie talkie can deceive the pirates during security alerts.
Other mechanics include floating in space, managing a “sneeze” meter, and dealing with injuries from stepping on glass. Eating bananas provides health, while slipping guards with banana peels adds a humorous touch. You can also pounce on dazed enemies and dispatch them in various ways, such as flushing their heads into space using toilets or trash chutes.
The demo is filled with gags, entertaining lines, and stylistic flourishes that enhance the gameplay experience. Fans of Blendo Games will recognize the studio’s signature style in Skin Deep, with familiar design elements and references to previous games like ‘Quadrilateral Cowboy’.
If you’re a fan of Blendo Games, wishlist Skin Deep now. For newcomers, try out the demo during Steam Next Fest to experience the quirky and inventive gameplay firsthand.
