Creaks

A fantastic puzzle adventure by Amaninta-Design, the makers of Samorost, Machinarium and Botanicula.

Options include separate sliders for Volume and Brightness, and choice of Language and Resolution.  Using a controller is recommended, but keyboard is also supported.

Story:

You're just minding your own business when the room starts shaking, things begin breaking and your wall opens up to reveal a mysterious passage to a world unknown.  Here you will find dangers and mysteries surrounding birdfolk, killer furniture and a very dangerous, very large antagonist.

Despite the fact that we can die -- and have a giant something trying to destroy everything -- I did not find this game to be creepy in the slightest... As a matter of fact, I found it to be absolutely delightful!  https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3002647964

Throughout the game you will uncover the story of this place via well-placed animated sequences.  These scenes can be skipped, if desired, which is very helpful when you are replaying a scene.

Gameplay:

Although Creaks is often referred to as a puzzle-platformer, there is absolutely no precision-platforming involved.  You do have to time things just right, but that is just part of the puzzle process, rather than what I'd refer to as typical platforming.

Gameplay consists of figuring out the environment in order to progress to the next scene.  The puzzling comes into play as you learn how monsters react to the presence of light and how to maneuver them into positions that will help open up otherwise-inaccessible areas.

Along the way you will discover interactive paintings -- some hidden, some in plain sight.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3002648271

The "interactiveness" of these paintings ranges from pushing a button and watching a few things move around to full-blown mini-games.  Fair warning that at least one of these requires fast reflexes, and while completing the minis is not necessary to finish the game, it IS required if you want to get all of the achievements.

All told, there are 28 Steam achievements, most of which are from finding/completing paintings and discovering hidden areas.

Did I not mention the hidden areas?  Well I did now!  They're not hard to find as long as you're paying attention ;D

Sights and Sounds:

The graphics are very environmental, and although there is a lot of darkness in the color palette, they have their own beauty.

There are a grand total of 61 scenes in the game, and we have not only a very convenient scene select area on the main menu, but a Restart Scene option whenever you pause the game.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3002650116

As for the audio, I can't imagine SFX and/or music that could be any more appropriate.

Verdict:

Overall I found Creaks to be an engaging foray into another world, with interesting puzzles that were just the right difficulty.  The graphics and audio were perfectly matched, and the overall production value excellent.  Absolutely delightful and highly recommended!