A suspenseful Toca game that goes off the deep end (in a somewhat “good” way).

Let me be honest here (as I always am, bear in mind!) This game kinda weirded me out, but not in the way that you might imagine.

I get the point about the crackling noises and other eerie ambient sounds. After all, it wouldn’t be a horror-themed game without any of these tropes. But this game has some of the strangest ways of conveying horror that I’ve seen in a while, particularly in a kids’ game.

For starters, the kitchen is inhabited by the freakiest slimes ever. There’s one point at which you have to clean the refrigerator with what appears to be a living “vacuum machine”. However, this “thing” (which I don’t even want to know what it is) is even more gross than whatever it is that it’s supposed to clean!

Then there’s some disconnect with the music. I get that, being a children’s game, Toca decided to add some light-hearted themes to tone down the horror, but perhaps they might have supplemented these scenes with something a bit more quirky and not the type of music that we got, which would usually fit most other Toca titles. 

I say this because it’s precisely the reason why I was a bit dumbfounded by the refrigerator minigame and the music it plays in the background. It’s sending me mixed messages and I’m not exactly sure how a kid is supposed to take that.

Another one of these moments emerges when your go down the elevator and reach the basement. You’ll meet a definite nightmare fuel (ok, I’m probably exaggerating). 

I mean, look at that head! Really, what the heck, Toca!? Some people might actually find this head adorable, but I’m not sure if it’s fitting for little kids to see that monstrosity doing all sorts of eccentric stuff. I don’t mind these kinds of scenes in my games, but games that my children play? I’m not so sure. The funky music in the background only made it even more horrifying, and this is not exactly a compliment.

Even though it may look as if I’m hating on this game, trust me, I’m not! Toca games have been known for delivering consistent quality experiences across the board. The visuals here (referring to the aesthetics rather than graphical horsepower) are astoundingly fresh and the overall environment is, for the most part, enjoyable (a statement you may find weird since I criticized several aspects of it just moments ago). Likewise, even when some musical pieces didn’t seem to fit too well, the soundtrack as a whole was pretty engaging.

The off-putting moments I just related are not enough to pull me out of the immersion, though they’re there and worth noting. Some moments are peculiarly weird but in a cool way. In some places, you could be reminded of games like Undertale, at least from a purely cosmetic perspective (albeit less “retro”). 

The lab minigame is one shining example of what I just described. It’s fun and wacky in a very tolerable way. The music here has an interesting mixture of jolly reggae beats and dramatic chord progressions, which I count as an instance of Toca-style music fitting the darker vibe of the game. I also loved the musical fluorescent “flowers”! Those were a nice touch!

One thing I would have loved was for the game to offer some puzzle-solving minigames. In my opinion, it was the perfect game for these types of gameplay mechanics. Alas, I think Toca wasted a valuable opportunity here. I understand Toca games are not known for complex puzzles or stories, but I do appreciate it when game developers think outside of the box and implement novelties into their unbroken formula. Toca decided to play it safe once more, though, which is a shame.

Another aspect that might disappoint parents is that this game doesn’t teach anything. In other words, it’s not pedagogic in nature. It’s just “fun” little chunks of horror and Tim Burton-esque creepiness that hits some things and misses others.

I found Toca Mystery House to be overly decent. It’s not, in my view, the best that Toca has to offer for the age group they cater to, but it’s a nice one-off to spend your Halloween evening with your little ones. Again, be prepared to feel a bit uneasy or even bewildered!

You can also let us know what you thought of this game or this review in the comments section!