Fran Bow

Fun game with some brain working puzzles. Nice art style. Finished all 18 achievements, which wasn't difficult but a fun side quest.

fun game, very challenging, beautifully designed

wow. this is one of those games i could play over and over again. if you want an interesting, puzzle-filled, nightmarish game, this one's for you! (please look at tws before playing)

Amazing environments and unexpected story

As a person who doesn't have much experience on Point and Click Adventure games other than few Telltale Games, I gotta say I felt really iffy when I made the choice to play this game because I wasn't really used to the genre but the atmosphere, topic of psychological warfare, its own style and the similliar vibes to American McGee's Alice made me feel like I gotta do it one way or another and I did! All I can say is I should have done it long time ago. Such a journey that starts with really disturbing environment and shudders every part of hair on your body. Surprisingly enough pscyhological warfare that Fran is taking you the unknown to make you appreciate there is always more than what it is or what it looks like. Having so many philosophical topics in there also appreciate the story more and shows developers did their best via dropping crumbles of so many Philosopher's insight like Husserl, Bergson, Heidegger and many more. This kind of stuff makes you appreciate Fran Bow in a way that's hard to put into words but to experience. As the expereince goes I had times were I felt like I stuck in a section but it didnt make me feel miserable or anything and all I can say is more I kept going smoother it got. Fran Bow doesn't only take you to unexpected adventures it also gives you authentic experience that you will be missing from games of this era. It also doesn't stop there. Fran Bow also shows creatures from otherwordly universes no matter what both of their essence and nature is that, end of the day everything just tries to keep going and make their existence valuable in their own way by humanizing them via having them trivial problems to overcome. Luckily, Fran Bow is there to show them if there's a will, there's a way. Also would like to give a shout to Mr. Midnight, Sir Itward and Doctor Palontras to make the game even more enjoyable than it is. I am so happy that Fran Bow is one of my first entries to the Point and Click Adventure genre and I couldn't appreciate it more.

игра конечно сама по себе хорошая, но, как по мне, концовка супер жидкая, прям все впечатление испортило, как будто автор не знал как закончить сюжет

everything about this game is beautiful from the puzzle to the art to the soundtrack, the puzzle most of the time is pretty easy to figure out sometime you just gotta walk back and forth which for me is a bit frustrating, i dont mind it tho and some i need a lil help from good old yt, the drastic change of the music is fun and the art is just dark and gory right on the spot.

If you like the Stanley parable this is not that game, but this is good too.

I like the escape room type puzzles this game has, and the story is very good

I've wanted to play this game for years. I would obsessively watch gameplays of this game, hoping to one day finally play it. That day has come... I spent 5.7 hours to finish the game and get all of the achievements in a single day... Zero regrets, I loved it :)

Amazing

Love Love LOVE this Game!!
the artwork is so stunning! The plot is disturbing and devastating, told with twisted and whimsical metaphors and personifications. Buy this Game yesterday

I love the universe and story that this game has, I like the puzzles and the characters, Itward and Palontras are the best! Play this game yesyes, mhmhm!!

I discovered this game on yt when I was around eleven years old, even if it is indeed extremely violent, sometimes even in unecessary ways, I find it perfectly fitting in the story, the art style has a slightly print of Tim Burton but even that still manages to look unique, and the peculiar story of Fran is, according to me, really well written even if the base lore of the game was hard to understand. Still this game is beautiful. During my run it rarely got any bugs, i just wish there was a way to reset the game to just see once again the incipit without automatically locking the other chapters too.
For point-and-click horror fans, this is a must. It is creative in its own grotesque way.

Probably one of the best little puzzle games I have ever had the fortune of playing.

I remember seeing all the youtuber's play this game when it first came out and I loved the art style, the story and the overall gore of it all. Getting a PC years later led me back to this game and it did not disapoint! Iv'e replayed this again and again as the story is amazing!! if you like fucked up shit play this.

it's a really fun game, the mystery and horror aspects as well as the puzzles are fun to play with.

I really like the concept of the game even though it could be considered kind of cringe (you know, with all the edges), the execution is marvelous so far and manages to escape the fate of that unbearable ``this is def made by a 13 year old´´ vibe. It´s creepy and gory and the puzzles are quite entertaining. The backstories and double meanings behind all of the characters so far are delightfully disturbing. There just is something so intriguing about the conceptualization of trauma especially paired with a child´s imagination. It gives plenty of food for thought. The art style is also amazing (coming from a person with very strong opinions on art styles in games). The only personal qualms I have is the recurring portrayal of mental health facilities which is not explicitly directed at this game alone. I understand the concept and criticism behind it and the artistic commentary it opens up, however i wish there was less media scaring people away from therapy and medications and the acceptance/normalizing of mental health in general. While i acknowledge the more than unpleasantly squeamish history of mental facilities and that maybe this is not really the best place to bring this up considering the game and the fact this is supposed to be a review, one should not take it as discouragement from the playing Fran Bow. Just take it as any other strangers unnecessary opinion that like in most cases definitely was not asked for. This game is a 10/10. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

I love this game so much, it’s honestly one of the best I’ve ever played. The story is super emotional, creepy in the best way, and completely pulled me in. The art style is so cool and unique, and the whole game feels like a dark, twisted fairy tale.

solid game; cool atmosphere and decent story, but i found some of the puzzles to be counterintuitive (possibly a skill issue)

It is a really amazing game, even though it is a bit tricky at certain points and you might get stuck. However, this didn't really take away the fun in the game and how well done it is as a game, as well as good representation of a lot of topics from a child's perspective. Would definitely recommend!!

Bizarre 2D puzzle psychological horror game. Had a lot to it I did not expect, I'm sure there're many theories & speculations about the meaning of what Fran sees.
Still, a good one.

This is easily one of my favorite games of all time. No matter how many times I play it through, I am still absolutely charmed and immersed in the world of Fran Bow!

One of my favorite games of all time. No matter how long it's been it will always hold a special place in my heart, and every once in a while I find my way back to enjoy it again

Phenomenal game. Absolute beautiful and amazing story. 20/10 would recommend.

I really enjoyed this game. I thought it would be nothing but horror and that is not the case, it has some lighter moments. Definitely a point and click worth playing.

Very very good with amazing art and nice puzzles

I had high hopes for this and honestly it's a great game, I just don't think it's for me or for someone who prefers more chaotic game play. I really wish there was narration like in Little Misfortune but sadly it doesn't. Perhaps it could be added in the future though and I would go back and try it. I found the searching for items to be long and distracting from the overall plot. Like I said above, it's great just not for me :)

I cannot recommend this game enough. The story and visuals are as stunning as they are terrifying. I am a fan of both point and click and psychological horror games, this game is the perfect meld of the two.

I played this with my cousin and we had a great time. The story is great and very entertaining. The game leaves you a bit on edge but it's such a good experience and the characters are all so thought-out. They are so easy to get attached to and it's a great experience watching the story play out, plus the interactions were always so good, especially with Fran Bow's rather "quirky" personality and her way of reacting to things lol. As someone who grew up watching Fran bow, sally face, and little misfortune videos this game exceeded my expectations for how good it'd be. It also continues to be a great game for something released in 2015. 10/10 would recommend.

This game marked my life and made me understand myself much better, I don't know if this was the purpose of the game, after all, text interpretation varies from person to person, but the interpretations I get from this game are so good, I feel so good playing it, I bought it as soon as I could afford it, because I'm very poor, but I platinumed it with pleasure and I've played it so many times that I can't count it and I'll still replay it, because there are so many phrases that I still haven't been able to understand, so many secrets in this big and vast world of Fran Bow, I lovingly hope next games because little misfortune is also already platinum, perhaps with my evolution as a programmer I will have even a minimal chance of one day being a freelancer for killmonday it would be a very big dream.

It might be the best game I have ever played. While I found some of the puzzles difficult I realized that everything you need to do to understand them is to think logically. Just stop for a minute and think logically.
10/10

I watched Kubz Scouts and iHasCupquake play this games years ago, and even though I've finished the game sometimes I'll replay it out of nostalgia. I really do love this game!

This story had me in tears. Fran Bow is now my favorite game of all time, and I'll never forget it. The art style and creativity used are absolutely perfect. It took me a few weeks to finish, mostly because I was dreading it ending. This was also my first time playing an indie game so I was pleasantly surprised with the quality and depth. I played it on my Surface Studio laptop so no high specs were needed-- anyone can play it. The puzzles and overall story were so unique I can't even comprehend how a human came up with this. Maybe it was a dream... or acid trip? I can't recommend this game enough.

Side note: I hope Killmonday releases more Paltronus plushies and more dream-like games.

GAMEPLAY -

🔲 Addicting
✅ Very good
🔲 Good
🔲 Decent
🔲 Bad
🔲 Very bad
🔲 Boring

GRAPHICS -

🔲 Masterpiece
✅ Beautiful
🔲 Good
🔲 Decent
🔲 Bad
🔲 Horrible
🔲 Eyes hurt

AUDIO -

🔲 Masterpiece
✅ Beautiful
🔲 Good
🔲 Decent
🔲 Bad
🔲 Horrible
🔲 Muted

DIFFICULTY -

🔲 Too easy
🔲 Easy
✅ Medium
🔲 Hard
🔲 Very hard
🔲 Feels impossible

STORY -

✅ Masterpiece
🔲 Beautiful
🔲 Good
🔲 Decent
🔲 Bad
🔲 Horrible
🔲 None

LENGTH -

🔲 Extremely short (0-1 hour)
🔲 Very short (1-5 hours)
🔲 Short (5-10 hours)
✅ Average (10-30 hours)
🔲 Long (30-50 hours)
🔲 Very long (50-100 hours)
🔲 Extremely long (100+ hours)
🔲 No ending

LENGTH WITH ACHIEVEMENTS -

🔲 Extremely short (0-1 hour)
🔲 Very short (1-5 hours)
🔲 Short (5-10 hours)
✅ Average (10-30 hours)
🔲 Long (30-50 hours)
🔲 Very long (50-100 hours)
🔲 Extremely long (100+ hours)
🔲 No ending

REPLAYABILITY -

🔲 Play once
✅ Only for achievements
✅ In a few months/years
🔲 A few times
🔲 A lot
🔲 Infinitely

FUN -

✅ Yes
🔲 Sometimes
🔲 Rarely
🔲 No
🔲 Repetitive

BUGS -

✅ None
🔲 A few
🔲 A lot
🔲 Unplayable

AUDIENCE -

🔲 Everyone
✅ Adults
🔲 Teens
🔲 Kids

PRICE -

🔲 Free
🔲 Cheap
✅ Good price
🔲 Expensive
🔲 Waste of money

WORTH BUYING -

✅ Yes
🔲 Wait for sale
🔲 No

my fav game for several years. I've played it since 2018, and I like it with all my heart

Like the story, amazing visuals. I stopped playing though, because the level (no spoilers) with the clock was very confusing to me. I have never been more bored and looked up a walkthroug, then stopped playing. Still a positive review, because it was a great experience.

A Haunting Beginning, A Ridiculous End

Fran Bow kicks off in the eerie corridors of a hospital-asylum, immediately immersing you in a world that drips with unsettling dread and meticulous detail. The opening chapters are a masterclass in atmosphere. Each shadow and every whispered sound pulls you into a narrative that promises depth and terror.
Much like Machinarium its early puzzles are beautifully crafted and challenging, luring you into a point & click adventure that feels both poetic and mysterious.

However, the game takes an unexpected, jarring turn. Halfway through, the quality doesn’t taper off gradually, instead, it nosedives. The story abruptly veers into convoluted territory with alternate realities and time travel gimmicks that clash with the initial horror. This shift isn’t subtle, it undermines the carefully built tension and transforms a once engrossing experience into a tangled, silly mess.

Even the puzzles, which once charming, start to feel repetitive and uninspired as the narrative loses its focus. What begins as a deeply engaging, dark descent turns into a let down where the ending feels as if it was bolted on for the sake of novelty rather than narrative integrity.

The opening hours are hauntingly beautiful and memorable. Yet, the later chapters betray that promise, leaving you with a final act that feels both rushed and absurd. For those willing to try for the sake of its early brilliance, Fran Bow offers a taste of atmospheric horror, just be prepared for a sluggish second half & a finale that will make you wish you invested your time playing something else.

I played Little Miss Fortune before Fran Bow after I noticed it was the same developer. I likes that Little Miss Fortune had voice acting. But Fran Bow had much harder puzzles and better story so its not strange that this game is more popular.

Some puzzles were harder than other. Sometimes I needed a little help from a guide because I didnt want to waste to much time going back and forth, but most of the time I figured it out myself.

I hope they will make more games in the future.

atmospheric and with a rich story , also competitive puzzles

Fran Bow is a beautiful and unique take on the point-and-click genre that explores grief through the lens of a child. This game's quirky art style suits its gritty themes and makes for a wonderfully dark indie gaming experience. Killmonday put a lot of love into this game, and it paid off.

This game is absolutely amazing. It has an amazing story and it is hard to tell if to like Fran or not.

the art style and the story are amazing!!!! it really puts your brain to work, but if you want to get trough it fast and without having to think that much, you could use a guide. It really makes the game feel like a interactive movie!! Some parts are also really funny. For example a rock saying that he cant take his hat off because he is divorced and his wife used to sit n top of him and it would make him sad. But lets not forget the more gruesome topics in this game, like child abuse, murder, self harm, mentioning of pedophilia and more. some parts are really confusing and it takes quite some time to get trough them, but the game is overall worth it!

this game is gorgeous, the story is amazing the art is amazing, tho its def gorey so its not for the faint of heart, there was time were i literally felt so unnerved with some parts, but if you can handle that please give this game a go its so amazing

Fran Bow is an absolutely captivating game that strikes the perfect balance between cozy and creepy! Despite its dark and traumatic themes, it's surprisingly comforting in the way it unfolds. The art style is breathtaking, every new scene feels like a beautiful work of art. The characters are very well written and memorable. Fran herself is such a lovable protagonist- her childlike innocence and determination in the face of all the terrifying things she goes through is heartwarming. She's full of empathy and sees the good and beautiful side in everything. The story is twisted and grotesque, yet there's a certain beauty in it all. I can't recommend this game enough! If you're looking for something unique and story rich, this is the game to play!

A beautifully horrific masterpiece back in 2015 and that holds true to this day, i love this game

As a fan of point and click games as well as the horror genre, it was a no brainer that I would enjoy something like Fran Bow. This game is as gorgeous and emotional as it is dark and gruesome. The mini-games are charming, the visuals are beautiful. the characters are well-defined, even the ones you only speak to once or twice. I can't recommend this game enough as it has become a beloved favorite and It really helped me come to terms with some of my own thoughts and emotions in real life.

I remember watching gameplays of Fran Bow years ago on youtube and I had always said "one day I'll be able to play it myself" and that day had come. Fran Bow is a game with a story really interesting and creepy which can make u attached to the character as Fran has a troubled mind. The graphic and type of style is amazing, a mix of cute and horror, just the perfection I'd say. If you are a lover of a mix of horror, cute, enigmas and funny then Fran Bow is the perfect game for you!

Fun and great pass timer, story was sweet and complex at times. Totally play Little Misfortune if you enjoyed this one.

Soft recommend. A lot of the horror tricks show up early on and stay that way, so once you're a chapter or two into it it's mostly just a point and click. Alice in wonderland stories are neat though.