Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass
2018
- role-playing (rpg)
- indie
- horror
- comedy
- single player
The story
Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass is a Japanese-style RPG made by a guy from Texas. It was very much influenced by SNES-era jRPGs, particularly Earthbound, Final Fantasy 5, and the Breath of Fire series, among others. It was also heavily influenced by Yume Nikki. The game takes place in the dream of an eight-year-old boy. When an alien entity appears and threatens his family and the stability of the dream world itself, Jimmy sets out on an adventure to save his family and eradicate the threat of the Pulsating Mass. Along the way, Jimmy will have to work with his family, confront his own shortcomings, and brave the creeping nightmares of his subconscious.
What it’s like
Chunky pixel sprites drift across soft, saturated dreamscapes, with washed-out pastels giving way to sickly greens and fleshy pinks as the nightmare creeps in. Sound leans on bright, warbling chiptune and cheerful town melodies that curdle into unsettling drones when the surreal turns sour. The vibe is wry, uneasy whimsy: a cozy childhood-dream aesthetic that keeps catching a cold draft of dread, the kind of oddness you sink into on a slow weekend or late at night with headphones on. Turn-based battles and a wandering, exploratory pace suit long, unhurried sessions, with room to linger over strange side corners. Combat is cartoonish, and the body-horror imagery is grotesque and disquieting rather than gory, so the fear lands as creeping unease more than shock. Emotionally it follows a boy and his family learning to face their small failings and fears, with humour undercutting the tension. Recommended for players who love SNES-era role-playing games like EarthBound and dream-logic oddities that are funny, strange and quietly eerie.
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