I've had a ton of fun playing Skin Deep, but I hope the developers fix the game's crashing problems

As a fan, I found myself munching on a bag of crisps, only to be startled by the approach of a space-roaming pirate drawn by the crinkle sound. In a flash, I grabbed an irritating plant known for its allergenic properties and flung it towards him. With a swift lunge, I tackled him hard against the wall. The ensuing commotion caused his head to detach, sending a mixture of items into the abyss as I shattered a window open to space, relishing the sensation of decompression filling the room.

Today marks another day in the life of the exceptional insurance agent, Nina Pasadena, who is the main character in the absorbing simulation game titled “Skin Deep,” a creation by Blendo Games and Annapurna Interactive.

Skin Deep offers a heap of enjoyment, as it combines multiple gameplay mechanisms that build upon each other. You can delve into spaceships, both interior and exterior, or brainstorm creative methods for discarding space pirate heads, which remains engaging no matter how often you do it. There’s always something fresh to discover if you pay close attention.

Over the past twelve hours I’ve spent playing Skin Deep, I’ve had a blast! However, there are a few technical glitches that I hope the developers can work on improving.

What is Skin Deep?

Skin Deep is a first-person immersive sim.
It’s developed by Blendo Games and published by Annapurna Interactive.
Skin Deep is available on Windows PC through Steam.

Skin Deep – An Immersive First-Person Game

Developer: Crafted by the talented minds at Blendo Games

Publisher: Released by Annapurna Interactive

In simpler terms, Skin Deep is a game that you play from your own perspective and it was designed and published by Blendo Games and Annapurna Interactive respectively.

Characters don the footsteps of Nina Pasadena, a fearless insurance agent often found hibernating on interstellar vessels. Waking up only when space outlaws infiltrate the spaceship, kidnap feline crew members, and create chaos throughout the ship.

In the course of her duties, Nina comes to recognize a perilous, enigmatic character orchestrating the space pirates’ actions, triggering a series of amusingly lethal incidents.

As a researcher embarking on each new mission, I find myself starting with an empty inventory. Instead, I must rely on scavenging useful items such as trash, tools, or weapons wherever I can find them. This necessitates a cautious approach to navigating the ships and gathering information without raising any initial suspicion.

With each passing mission, the challenges become tougher, featuring deadlier adversaries and progressively convoluted stage designs. Moreover, you’ll encounter an array of smartly-placed items to manipulate within the surroundings.

It typically takes about 12 hours for most players to finish Skin Deep, but this can vary significantly based on whether players opt for additional tasks and the time they spend exploring.

Skin Deep review: Story and characters

Skin Deep has a comedic tone, with consistent jokes and slapstick humor.
The plot involves some twists and turns that can be a little ridiculous.
Nina’s relationships with the various cats rounds out the cast.

Throughout the game, most missions resemble Nina’s everyday work, yet there exists a broader plotline where Nina gradually discovers the mystery surrounding a character allied with space pirates. I won’t give away any spoilers, but it was engaging enough to hold my interest, as the main story occasionally took a backseat.

The majority of the writing, apart from its unexpected twists, primarily revolves around emails, as Nina maintains communication with all the cats she saves. These cats, who are artists, poets, LARPers, scuba divers, film enthusiasts, and more, frequently share their sometimes thoughtful but often humorous opinions on Nina’s life and challenges.

While it’s technically possible to bypass most of these side chats, I strongly recommend taking a moment to go through them. They’re filled with amusing jokes and delightful anecdotes that are certainly worth your attention.

Skin Deep review: Gameplay and features

As an immersive sim, Skin Deep has a huge focus on different gameplay systems.
Reading is essential, and there are dozens of different interactions to exploit.
You’re forced to start each mission from scratch.

Initially, Skin Deep seems disorienting, frequently shifting its setting without providing a clear sense of place or my abilities. However, fortunately, the game’s quality significantly enhances post-tutorial.

Since Nina must embark on every mission without any equipment, Skin Deep pushes you to think creatively at all times. The pirates aboard each ship are heavily armed and armored, posing a significant challenge. However, they pose an even greater threat due to their “Skullsaver” technology, which allows them to regenerate if defeated – unless you manage to fling their heads into deep space.

To advance, it’s essential to thoroughly examine and understand everything around you. Initially, the task may seem overwhelming, but with persistence and experience, it will become more manageable. Discovering notes could reveal hidden stashes of grenades, deciphering codes might open trash chutes and airlocks, and uncovering unique ship-related features can provide a competitive edge.

Every vessel offers full exploration opportunities, both internally and externally. Occasionally, exiting through a window or airlock may uncover a secret path or additional goal that facilitates smoother advancement.

As a tech-savvy enthusiast, what truly sets Skin Deep apart is its intricate system of item interactions and intelligent enemy AI. These space pirates might seem like a bunch of simpletons (yes, literally), but they’re quick to respond to noises and will deviate from their usual routines if something unusual catches their attention nearby.

A carelessly discarded banana peel might make a pirate lose his footing and fall, providing an opportunity for Nina to attack and either shove him into a weakly secured wall or deck or knock him unconscious with a powerful blow and decapitate him. Similarly, if you understand the effects of various chemicals, tossing a deodorant container and some loose screws could trigger a disastrous sequence of events that clears an entire room.

Every mission keeps a record of each particular interchange, enabling you to witness step-by-step what transpires, even when you’re not present.

There are countless tasks to tackle and strategies for handling dangers, and I truly enjoyed the thrill of locating scarce resources and inventively using them to bypass enemy sentries.

Regrettably, as I advanced through the game, I encountered multiple crashes that grew more frequent, with the game freezing and crashing more often in the latter part of the game (specifically across the last five levels). Initially, it froze or crashed only sporadically during missions, but this increased dramatically by the end.

It’s advisable to save your progress often because navigating in an immersive game can unexpectedly go wrong at any moment, and this is crucial when the game keeps crashing as it does.

Skin Deep review: Visuals and audio

Skin Deep uses a simple but colorful art direction.
It looks clean, with easily-identifiable structures that can still look nice.
The game is built using the open source id Tech 4 engine.

The game Skin Deep isn’t particularly challenging, and this simplicity is mirrored in its graphics, which employ a straightforward art style with an abundance of vibrant colors. At times, it looks quite appealing, especially when viewed from the exterior of a spaceship, and I often found myself venturing into space just to appreciate the detailed ship models.

Specifically, what catches my eye is the immediate distinction among all elements. Brightly colored keycards in shades of bold purple, blue, or yellow serve as clear identifiers for important items, whereas active turrets are easily spotted due to their red laser beams.

In addition to its exceptional visuals, the game boasts impressive audio design as well. Footsteps frequently provide a clue to an adversary’s precise location, even before they come into view. The game’s soundtrack is lively, featuring a barrage of retro-synth tunes that are enjoyable, with a memorable main melody standing out.

Skin Deep review: Accessibility and approachability

Skin Deep has a number of accessibility options.
Players can adjust subtitle size and color.
You can also adjust enemy reaction times and the damage Nina takes.

In simpler terms, immersive simulations like Skin Deep might seem challenging for beginners, but it offers accommodating features to make gameplay more inviting. For instance, players have the flexibility to customize the damage that the main character, Nina, can sustain. By default, she takes 100% damage, but this setting can be lowered all the way down to 0%, providing an easier experience for those who prefer it.

Enemy reaction times can also be adjusted, giving you more or less wiggle room to escape notice.

For those with any form of visual impairment, you can adjust the subtitles to enhance visibility by altering colors and enlarging them for easier readability.

Skin Deep review: My final thoughts

✅You should buy this if …

You like immersive sim-style games with lots of interacting gameplay systems.

Skin Deep delivers a wealth of enjoyable, varied gameplay experiences, where enemies and interactions feel authentically realistic (for sci-fi standards). This means that each playthrough of a specific mission can yield significantly different outcomes. It might not be an extended game, but it’s brimming with puzzles and mysteries to unravel, making it appealing if you’ve enjoyed similar games in the past.

You enjoy fun, light-hearted science-fiction that pokes fun but doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Skin Deep isn’t a serious game; instead, it offers plenty of humor. If you’re searching for a light-hearted experience with witty dialogue, this deep space insurance job is the perfect fit. You’ll find jokes galore on topics ranging from cloning and philosophy to live-action role-playing (LARPing).

❌You should not buy this if …

You don’t enjoy immersive sim gameplay.

Immersive simulation games can be tricky to gauge whether they’ll appeal to someone, as they often require a specific taste to enjoy. Also, it might be challenging to predict if you’d prefer Skin Deep over other immersive sims, given that your past experiences with this genre may influence your feelings towards it. However, even though the game offers several accessibility features to reduce stress, I wouldn’t expect you to enjoy it if you haven’t appreciated any previous immersive sims you’ve played.

You have low tolerance for crashes when playing games.

Currently while composing this critique, I want to highlight an issue I encountered in the latter part of Skin Deep: it tends to experience severe crashes. Specifically, the last five missions consistently crashed for me at least once, and on two occasions, the crashing was so frequent that I had to restart the mission or revert to a save. Whether this is a problem that could potentially ruin your experience depends on you, but it’s something worth noting.

I’ve had a great time exploring Skin Deep. Despite an unconventional start, it offers a delightful journey filled with innovative concepts that never strays from its core identity. It consistently introduces fresh mechanics and tools, layering them on top of each other to create a truly creative experience.

The movie “Skin Deep” doesn’t overstay its welcome by feeling excessively long, and it should finish up within approximately 12 hours, although the duration may vary slightly based on the extent of your exploration through the numerous pirate- and cat-filled ships.

It’s unfortunate that the game tends to malfunction near the end, although I’m optimistic that future updates will address this issue. Despite this flaw, the blend of engaging game mechanics and witty dialogue make it a standout title overall.

Skin Deep is set to launch on April 30, 2025 on Windows PC via Steam.

2025-04-28 16:10

I’ve had a ton of fun playing Skin Deep, but I hope the developers fix the game’s crashing problems