Bye Sweet Carole, the Italian masterpiece born from grief

A therapy called video game: The secret message hidden in the dark fairy tale

I started writing Bye Sweet Carole right after my mother's death. 

These are the first words Italian author Chris Darril used to tell us about the genesis of the game, now available on digital stores across all platforms.

Creating it, he continues, helped me process my grief, to channel my pain into writing and its realization. It was therapeutic.

And indeed, behind its fairy-tale appearance that seems straight out of a Brothers Grimm book, Bye Sweet Carole is not a game "for children". It speaks of loss and recovery, of resilience and hope, of the continuous search for a permanent solution to pain. Important and universal themes that do not, however, deny Darril's style, who has made horror his true trademark.

After the great success of Remothered, Bye Sweet Carole revisits the adult themes and underlying unease typical of horror games, disguising it as a "harmless" side-scrolling game that mixes puzzles, exploration, and a lot, a lot, of narration. To which is added the ability to hide from the monsters we will face in the game. A true trademark in the "Darrellian" universe.

It's no coincidence that the New York Times and Forbes have listed Bye Sweet Carole among the most important games of the year and that for some it could be one of the most likely candidates to be one of the surprises for the upcoming The Game Awards. Because beyond some stiffness in the animations and a UX that sometimes "gets stuck," Bye Sweet Carole is a game that has all the right elements to entertain, amuse, and lead to reflection.

Horror disguised as a Disney fairy tale: the explosive mix of puzzles, exploration, and fear

Working by subtraction, the control system and user interface have been greatly streamlined, making way for gameplay that reflects fundamental simplicity, allowing the narrative to emerge and become the core of the game. A true fairy tale for adults, accompanied by an aesthetic style that seems to come straight out of the best Disney productions. Everything hand-drawn, everything perfectly calibrated in colors and lighting to truly amaze.

And at a time when players complain about the lack of Italian voice acting, here is the additional gem of complete localization, both for texts and voices, with a truly perfect cast in all roles, featuring a wonderful Bruno Schirippa as narrator.

Gallery

Bye Sweet Carole is a brilliant example of Italian craftsmanship (with an almost entirely female team), with a unique storytelling style and gameplay mechanics that offer an adequate level of challenge for all types of players. Missing an adventure like this would be a real shame.

For us, it's a must-have.