The game is dedicated to a little girl named Fran who is kept in a psychiatric facility. Her mind is clearly unhealthy and the new experimental drugs used to treat her provoke heavy hallucinations. But this doesn’t stop her from aspiring to freedom, both physical (running away from the hospital) and spiritual (her salvation from the cruel real world). The horror adventure clicker is filled with weird dark humor that, in tandem with childlike naivety of the heroine and her absurd fantasies, creates an unusual mix that is so exciting to play.
Some people compare it to Alice in Wonderland and that’s not far from the truth. There are references to this book in the game. For instance, in one of the scenes we can see Fran together with Alice. They are school friends. One of the girls is holding a plush Cheshire cat, the other – the black one, Mr. Midnight. Even their phrases are similar if you pay attention to them. The ending is quite extraordinary. There is one that lies on the surface and a kind of an inside final that gives the whole story a more profound, complete look. The most interesting thing is that the player can choose where to prefer a happy ending or a gloomier outcome of the events.
Fran Bow shouldn’t be perceived purely as a game. It’s rather a drug trip, a six-hour-long journey after returning from which you will receive some knowledge, learn a story that will help you stay yourself and survive through dark, truly dark times that may have place in your life. But that doesn’t mean the journey will be a pleasant one. The impressions you’ll get depend on your perception of the events that will unfold in front of you on the screen. So get ready to not just click your mouse, but to participate in everything that happens to the heroine intellectually and emotionally. It will be tough, but you’re going to enjoy it!
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