Melting Parrot’s game Dap is an eerie action-adventure where you are supposed to lead fragile little Daps to safety through a hostile and infected world. The game’s prologue is available for free, and the game itself is about to be released, so let’s find out what Dap is all about.
Melting Parrot
Melting Parrot’s itch.io offers a few little games where atmosphere is key. Meadow Generator, for example, is a walking sim with randomly generated eerie landscapes, and Forest Whispers leads you through a foggy forest. There is always something off, something mildly (or not-so-mildly) creepy about these games.
In an interview, Dap’s developers confess to enjoying connecting beauty and horror, darkness and light. Let’s see how that intent was reflected in Dap.
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Plot and Style
You are a Dap, and you control a group of
other Daps by talking to them and asking them to follow you. Daps are strange little creatures that, we are told, are friendly, but… they are a little creepy.
It might be the pixel graphics or the sounds they make (dap, dap, dap), but they are quite unsettling. And they seem to be able to defend themselves after all, because melee and distance fighting is a mechanic in the game. They look childlike, though, and they are easily harmed and killed by the forest. It might be difficult not to feel protective of these weird little things.
The setting of the game is dark but colorful. The forest you lead your Daps through is lush and full of curious, unusual plants and objects. Dark green and golden shades might remain unsettling, but they are also beautiful.
Something is wrong with the forest, though. The corruption that has spread from a crack in reality makes it dangerous and warps everything within it into creepy and scary things.
As the game progresses, levels promise to become more diverse. Colours will show you whether you are safe or in danger.
The developers confess to being influenced by diverse media, including Studio Ghibli, but a lot of inspiration is drawn from nature itself. In the end, the personality of the game is very unique, but you might enjoy hunting for references in it.
Gameplay
The world of Dap is split between the spirit world and the forest. The spirit world is meant to offer some reprieve, and the forest is the environment that you need to protect Daps from. Remember that the thing warping the forest is an infection; Daps are not immune to it, and they can be turned into horrible enemies because of it.
Infected Daps
Early reviews claim that there is a lot to explore in the eerie forest of Daps. There will be puzzles, scavenging, and crafting. You will be able to take breaks from the horrors of the forest in the gardens of the spirit world between levels.
You will also find that Daps are not alone; their worlds are filled with strange, eerie creatures. The player will be able to interact with them, but should they?
Conclusion
A horror adventure with action and puzzle elements, Dap has an absolutely stunning and unusual atmosphere with a unique and frightening world. This beautifully eerie game will become available on September 29th.
Before committing to the game, you can play the demo. Read an interview about Dap here.
