Horror games on the Switch have been quite a mixed bag over the years both in terms of style and quality. There have been far more made in a walking simulator style than I’d care to recount, especially since more often than not those have been middling at best. Thankfully, there have been some more diverse ones that have been of more interest, even if the final product hasn’t been great. If nothing else I’ve respected the effort to do something unexpected. That’s where I’ve landed with Matsuro Palette, a decidedly odd title where you’ve been given a cursed incomplete painting, with the goal of completing it. The problem is, doing that will be far more challenging than you’d think, and the consequences for failing have a tendency to be quite grim.

Ultimately playing out like a combination of visual novel, adventure, and puzzle game, you’ll need to explore what areas and objects you can each day in search of both objects to incorporate into the painting, and then clues for how to make use of them. It turns out that the spirit in the painting is very particular, and if you fail to satisfy her wishes, or somehow offend her, you’re likely to meet a sudden end. This can be as simple as using the wrong color for an item, so you’ll need to carefully review any and all clues you find to be sure that you don’t cross her. 

The thing is, whether or not this is enough to sustain your interest will likely vary wildly from person to person. The dialogue is at least generally well-written and playful, while at the same time remaining vaguely sinister, so people who enjoy visual novels may well get a kick out of this mildly interactive horror outing. However, if you’re just out for scares, gore, or something with a bit more energy, this will likely be a bit of a snooze. If nothing else through trial and error you’ll continue to make progress, the question is just whether or not the premise and simplicity of the experience will be enough to grab you.