Games have been adapted into movies and tv shows, and there have been video game tie-ins with movies, but very rarely does a tv show or movie get adapted into a video game; that was the case with The Bad Kids game. This video game was an adaptation of a Chinese TV series called “Cat’s Cradle.” The game focuses on some serious themes through the eyes of a teenage boy. The game maintains a somber and intense tone throughout the game. While the game’s story, narrative, and underlying themes are unique and fantastic, some serious issues are also present.
The game was developed by a small indie Chinese gaming company called Aluba Studio.
This article will discuss everything you need to know about the Bad Kids game, including the pros and cons of the game. First, let us start by talking about the story of the Bad Kids game.
The Bad Kids Game – Story
The Bad Kids tells a story that is loosely based on a popular Chinese TV series known as “The Hidden Corner”, the alternative name of which is “Cat’s Cradle”. The game was originally meant to be titled Cat’s Cradle before the developers decided to rebrand it.
The story of The Bad Kids game is a complex one that allows the players to slowly reveal the various layers of it along with different characters with each chapter progression. Each chapter showcases the various concerns that the teenage protagonist has. The name of the main playable character is Zhu Chaoyang, and as the story progresses, his concerns make him question not just himself but also everything that he believes in.
The main protagonist, Zhu Chaoyang, has a troubled relationship with his family, and he struggles with this.
Zhu Chaoyang’s mother is an overprotective mother who is constantly watching over his shoulders and controlling every aspect of his life, both personal and academic. He also has an estranged father who has never taken an interest in his life and is absent most of the time as he is too busy with his new family. He also faces constant bullying in his school and has a lack of friends.
The topics the game covers are very intense and serious ones, the way the game handles these themes is an aspect of the game that many players find appealing and interesting.
The developers made a bold decision to discuss some serious and intense themes that are very relevant to society through the eyes of Zhu Chaoyang, a teenager. The makers of the game not only executed this perfectly they were also able to convey the emotions of the protagonist. The issues faced by Zhu Chaoyang are bottled up inside him, and this darker side of the character is depicted using a dark creature that vaguely resembles a fox.
Many players found it difficult to follow the concluding portion of the game as the game struggles to tie up all the different aspects of the narrative. A big failure of the game is that it fails to explain the dark, mysterious dox that is present for the most part of the narrative, as the game leaves it to the interpretation of the player.
The focus of the game on the various psychological aspects kept many players interested and to keep on playing.
The Bad Kids Game – Gameplay
The Bad Kids game is primarily a psychological horror video game that has a great emphasis on puzzles. Most of the gameplay is the player doing inventory-based puzzles where you will need to search and find important items so that you can use them in other places, Even though the character can die at different sections of the game, it happens very rarely.
The game consists of many puzzles and mini-games. Whenever you are made to confront the “Bad Guy,” you will have to play a mini-game like quick time events, including pressing the space bar at the right time in order to control the breathing of the protagonist and avoid darkness. Some of these mini-games do lag on for a bit longer. However, they still remain very interesting and engaging for the player. Most of the puzzles are logical and engaging, but some might require you to check a guide in order to complete them.
The horror element of the game primarily comes from the somber psychological tone like that of a grim visual novel.
The keyboard-controlled side-scrolling game has a hand-painted art style which is accompanied by Chinese voice acting and English subtitles. The more you explore the physical world around the protagonist, the more you will dive into the inner world of the character. The game has a mix of inventory collection, investigation, and puzzle solving.
Visuals and The Sound Of The Bad Kids Game
The game has a colorful hand-painted art style that resembles that of a visual novel or comic book. The characters in the game are not fully voiced. However, the characters do speak some sentences in Chinese sometimes.
This helped set the tone of the game. Something that a lot of players found annoying was the random loud static noise that played in between.
An issue that a lot of players faced was with the English translation while it was serviceable, there were so many spelling mistakes and errors present. The majority of the text that appears in the game seemed fine to the players. However, the quick speed at which the texts disappear makes it hard to read at times.
Note – The main menu of the game is not in English, so you will need to change the settings. In order to do that, you must go to the fourth option in the bottom right corner and click on the third tab on the next screen, where you will be able to change to the other language options.
Stats and Minimum System Requirements of The Bad Kids Game
Minimum System Requirements
| Windows 10 | Mac OS 10 | |
| Processor | Intel CPU Core i3 | Intel CPU Core i5 |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750Ti | Intel Iris Graphics 6100 |
| Storage: | 10 GB available space | 10 GB available space |
Windows 10 PCs also need to have DirectX Version 11 installed in order for the game to run properly.
It takes approximately 7 hours in order to complete one playthrough of the game.
Even though there are three different endings for the game, it does not offer any chapter selection, which makes it a chore to start the game from the beginning, even though the ending branching only happens in the last two chapters, which takes away the replayability of the game.
The game is available for purchase on Steam, where you can play the demo of the game to try it out and divide whether or not you want to purchase the game.
The Bad Kids Game – Review
Most of the reviews that gamers who played ‘The Bad Kids’ gave are positive. If you visit the game’s page on Steam and many other game-reviewing websites, you will notice that most of the users only have positive things to say about the game.
Many players added in their reviews how the game is fresh with unique content and that it deals with matters that games usually fail to discuss. They commented how ‘The Bad Kids’ is perfected for those who are into games with complex plots and a bit complicated but fun puzzles. The players only had very good things to say about the game, especially the plot and the themes.
The reviews of the games also say how the puzzles in the game were unique and a breath of fresh air. However, there were also aspects of the game that did not please the players.
The main issue that many players had was with the bugs and the glitches, as many players experienced this during their playthrough. Another issue that quite a few players noted was the translation issue and how quickly the texts that appeared on the screen disappeared.
The reviews of the game are mostly positive and suggest that anyone who is interested in the premise should definitely check it out for the intriguing and intense plots and themes.
Conclusion
The Bad Kids is a horror video game that is loosely based on the popular Chinese TV series Cat’s Cradle. The game has an interesting story and deals with some mature and intense themes. The game is considerably short, with interesting and unique puzzles and mini-games. The puzzles and mini-games are not only engaging but also unravel the story as well as the inner workings of the protagonist. The game is a short experience that deals with the various psychological issues of the protagonist, Zhu Chaoyang.
This article has discussed everything that you need to know about The Bad Kids game and has hopefully given you a better understanding of the game.
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