Face your fears on an epic quest.

Asfalia: Fear by Funtomata, is the second game in the Asfalia series – preceded by Asfalia: Anger. In these games, children get to examine difficult emotions as they traverse a strange land and solve puzzles along the way.

The game functions as a standalone title, not requiring prior knowledge of the series.

The game plays like a long and fully voice acted cartoon episode, mixed with interactive point-and-click mechanics. Players will explore a whimsical world, meet cute characters, and experience charming hand-drawn 2D graphics that should be appealing and accessible to younger players.

The story starts with our protagonist Charlie playing in the yard with their four puppies, when a storm strikes and scares the puppies, causing them to scatter into the nearby forest. Following their tracks, Charlie stumbles upon a meteorite, which turns out to be a friendly flame Lily who fell from the sky. Lily is able to dispel darkness that blocks their passage.

Lily explains to Charlie that they are now in a magical world called Asfalia. As the story progresses, it is revealed that the puppies were stolen by a werewolf. Charlie and Lily must journey forward to rescue them, helping various characters on the way.

Children’s stories don’t always have to make sense, as children don’t mind plot holes or ambiguous scenarios, but the game’s narrative doesn’t seem to even try to explain anything.

Who is Lily and why did she fall from the sky? How did Charlie get there? Who is the werewolf and what motivated him to steal the puppies? The story fails to provide any answers.

The game has an issue with missed potential.

Its primary goal of teaching children to process emotions is underwhelming, as the concept of fear is barely explored, with main characters displaying little to no fear throughout their journey. The game lacks any emotional development or depth, failing to teach children how to understand or conquer their fears.

But as a children’s point and click adventure, Asfalia: Fear plays well.

Its simple point-and-click mechanics and straightforward puzzles are perfectly suited for a younger audience. The game is fully voiced, making interactions with the world engaging and fun.

However, this version of the game was not without its issues. Despite simple graphics and gameplay, the game suffered from multiple crashes. Due to generous auto-saves and small levels, the crashes did not affect the progress of the playthrough.

While Asfalia: Fear can entertain children with its gameplay and graphics, it does not achieve its intended goal of emotional exploration.

If the launched version doesn’t address the crashes, it might also be a frustrating experience. Add in the almost non-existent “fear” that is to be explored and this becomes a game which parents may consider skipping over.

If you’re looking for something bright and interactive to keep kids engaged – and off your nerves – for a few hours, the game is an inexpensive solution that has just enough to make it worth the low cost.

Asfalia: Fear, was reviewed on Steamafter receiving a pre-release key.