It was easier this week to find a demo to play, and I am pretty excited about not having to browse the Steam Store for an hour, sifting through porn and barely functional games to stumble across a decent game. This week is a demo that reminds me a lot of Little Nightmares, except you are saving people while a ship is sinking. This week is Gift.

Gift is a sidescrolling platformer from Toydium, Million Edge, and being published by Bushiroad Games. The game has a planned release for early 2024 for the PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox.

You play as a very dapper deep-sea diver as they wake up from a deep slumber on a luxury cruise liner. Right after he wakes up the ship begins to fill with water, it is sinking. People scream and run to safety, but some are not able to make it and it is up to you to save them and yourself through a lot of platforming.

Gift reminds me a lot of Little Nightmares, being a side-scrolling platformer with a 3D background, loud, scary sounds, and a non-verbal protagonist. The gameplay of Gift sets itself apart through the constantly changing orientation of the ship as the player progresses through the game. The cruise liner is the enemy and it is out to get you. Platforming is pretty much the only gameplay; it is the only thing that you do. Diver Man can jump, jump higher depending on how long the button is held and he can interact with the various people on the liner. Gimmicks begin to arise when the water levels rise and lower, like chase scenes and insta-kill sections.

There are a number of puzzles within the demo and they are not really that thought-provoking but they are rewarding in their own way, usually leading you to an item or passengers to save.

Gift is a nice-looking game. Once you get past the stiff animations, the gameplay looks great. The cruise ship interior, before the hitting of the iceberg, is classy and filled with luxurious items. while the ship is sinking, it is empty, dark, and incredibly scary as the hull breaking shatters the silence of the evacuated ship.

Gift’s demo was actually pretty enjoyable. The nonverbal communication and the stiff animations were a little bit off-putting but as I progressed through the demo, I began to enjoy it regardless. The platforming is the real star here as it is incredibly fun to navigate the sinking ship with tough jumps and near-misses. Overall, the demo lasted about forty-five minutes and I have to say that it did not feel that long.

Enjoyable demo, I recommend it.