In Full Bloom Preview

I recently got the opportunity to try out the demo for In Full Bloom, which is an upcoming surreal and horror Tamagotchi-like game developed and published by obleak games. Aside from looking like something from Tim Burton's nightmares, what makes the title stand out is that it mixes in some similarities to Katamari Reroll into its gameplay.

In Full Bloom's demo starts off immediately and without introduction — a grey blob with an eerie mouth looking right back at the player. The first stage is as small as a bacterium, and I didn't take long to begin feeding it whatever I could pick up from around it.

After hearing the weird noises it was producing, I understood why it's suggested to play with headphones. I'm not the bravest gamer, so it doesn't take much to scare me, but the sounds made the odd situation downright uncomfortable, and I appreciate that!

If not fed in time, the little weirdo pet gets angry enough that it tries to eat the player, but there are enough random items and life forces around to keep a steady flow. What begins as microscopic pieces of kibble for the grey blob end up nearly human-sized by the time the demo ends, leaving me wondering just how big the creature will get in the full game and what that entails for the length. This isn't a bad thing, of course: it was just surprisingly fun (and oddly relaxing) to throw things into a nigh-endless funnel of hunger.

obleak games' idea is very unique, and I'm curious to see what the ending is and if there will be other gameplay features that might add more intrigue or replayability in the full release. I look forward to returning and feeding the grey blobby until its full size, even if the little nuisance did downright swallow me whole at the end of the demo.

If you appreciate the idea of an uncomfortable and creepy horror experience mixed with the passive activity of a Tamagotchi-like pet and Katamari's gameplay, then give In Full Bloom's demo a try. Just promise me you'll help out the game by leaving a review on Steam if you do!