Shadow Vamp

One man's sunshine is another man's hell. Well, a vampire's hell.

Shadow Vamp stars one of these unfortunate creatures, a squat nosferatu named Victor who departs his crypt at sundown to feed on villagers living on floating islands.

Victor loses track of the time (as we all do when we're on a bender), and by the time he's finally ready to go home the sun's already thrown its cheerful face across the land. You need to help Victor get back to the safety of a crypt without getting intimate with sunbeams.

This means sticking to the shadows. Using a crank on the right side of the screen, you turn the stages around, thereby changing where the shadows fall, until there's a path of darkness for Victor to follow. You finish a level when you reach a crypt.

(Incidentally, every level starts with Victor staggering into broad daylight. Apparently he's a slow learner.)

It would be nice if the buildings in Shadow Vamp were cooperative enough to cast flawless shadows. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. No matter how much you futz with the amulet, you still need to deal with huge patches of sunlight that will drain your energy into nothingness if you try and tan for more than a couple of seconds.

Thus, you need to think creatively. Most levels are scattered with objects that can be used to throw shadows and block the sunlight, including sunflowers, rolling stones, beanstalks, and carriages. You can also pick up bottles of sunblock that let you streak through the sunlight worry-free for ten seconds.

Energy can be restored by picking up cans of blood – er, tomato soup. Yes, it is definitely tomato soup.

Shadow Vamp's original puzzle mechanics will keep you engaged - especially when the game challenges you to use your surroundings to survive.

Its visuals and sound effects are wonderful, too: the floating islands are lonely and haunting, and the minimalistic music is suitably creepy. Listening to the groan of the island as it labours to turn around never gets old.

Shadow Vamp's controls are a bit slippery at times, however, which can lead to Victor stepping off a narrow path of shadow and into the blazing sunlight. When you die, you have to start the level over again. Most of the levels in Shadow Vamp are short, but starting over when you're steps from the crypt is always frustrating.

Shadow Vamp is ghoulish fun. It has its flaws, but if you're looking for a seasonal game to play this Halloween you won't find many better than this.