Death. The Grim Reaper. Thanatos, if you’re into Greek mythology. We all know him in one form or another, but to Prim, he’s just ‘dad’ - and a real pain in the butt. The afterlife adventure almost quadrupled the funding goal of its Kickstarter campaign in February 2021, and it’s been a real treat seeing German teacher and developer Jonas Fisch actively sharing updates in the years since - especially now that the game has finally arrived!
So, what is there to do after you kick the bucket? Plenty, if you happen to be Death’s daughter! You’ll enjoy trips down the river Styx, solve plenty of puzzles, and enjoy Fisch’s underworld as it blends modern and ancient Greek inspirations to create something truly unique. That is assuming a side-story about some guy named Hank that wants to protest the revival of a dead forest isn’t an obscure Greek story, though.
The story is told across three acts, with most of the puzzles coming to give you plenty of head-scratching moments at the midpoint. As act three began, I hoped for a twist that would take Prim to yet another part of the underworld - especially after being shown multiple unvisited places on the map - but the third act’s puzzles ended up being quite linear. I suppose it’s fitting for a game about death to end abruptly, but I can’t help but wish the final stretch goal was reached; playing as Thanatos for one last act could’ve given the game a stronger finale.
Another stretch goal we just missed out on was a deeper version of ‘Casketball’, a wonderfully named deck-building minigame seen in most of PRIM’s advertising. Building a deck of eight cards will require some hintless pixel hunting, but is it worth it? Well, in its current form, casketball feels more like an exercise in tossing dice than a game you would want to play for more than two rounds - and these poor souls are stuck with it for all eternity.
It’s mind-numbingly simple; pick the best number from four abilities, then hope for good luck. If you lose a round - and you will - just mindlessly click ‘OK’ until you get lucky. The only ‘tactic’ you need is to find opponents with weak cards, then beat them through sheer attrition. Luckily, the number of rounds you need to play is limited, but you’re still forced into playing, and reaching the limit doesn't really satisfy the puzzle you are solving. I like the idea behind making your own card game, but if there’s ever a Casketball tournament, you won’t find me there - rock-paper-scissors is faster.
A point’n’click game without puzzles is like an afterlife with no rock music, so I’m glad to say Prim features plenty of both. The unique world Fisch has crafted lends itself well to puzzles with satisfying solutions, even if there should have been more hints sprinkled throughout. It’s something we’ve all seen - here, using a river monster’s whistle on that very river gets a boilerplate ‘that doesn’t make sense’ response - but sad to see the game stumble a bit in this area after including hotspotting that ties into the game’s worldbuilding, an inventory that’s easy to access, and full controller support.
Speaking of hints, it’s great to see that PRIM has an in-game hint system! It also fits the worldbuilding, with the hint-givers being the very same creatures that show hotspots. Still, Prim herself could’ve given a few more contextual hints, and the hint system spoiled a few puzzles through its hints’ titles alone. It is a nitpick, as most players won’t read the hint book as vigorously as I did, but try to remember the name of my site!
Ultimately, the hint book served its purpose - I got help with a couple of tricky puzzles. Still, game development is stressful, and it’s easy for systems like that to slip through the cracks. So, if you’re a developer reading this with plans to implement an in-game hint system of your own, please contact me. I’ve spent five years giving first-class treatment to puzzle hints, and problems shared are problems halved!
Casketball might have had me rolling in my grave, but don’t fear the reaper! PRIM provided a satisfying story, numerous puzzles, great dialogue, and really great voice acting. Even if it’s just for the Burton-y aesthetics, it’s definitely one worth playing before the big man (or his daughter) comes to collect.
Reviewed on Steam Deck. A review code was provided by the publisher.