Shrinking Pains

Shrinking Pains

Bedtime Phobias · 2018 · Free to Play, Indie, Sexual Content, Visual Novel, Singleplayer

PC
Very Positive85% · 226
This game is free to play. Get it on Steam →

Screenshots

About Shrinking Pains

Did your ceiling always look like that?

Your vision peels at the edges, folding in. Everything is white, empty. You spend a day seeing how many coins you can fit into the hollows above your collarbones.

You wonder how long it will take until there is nothing left of you to touch.


Overview
Made in 48 hours for the Global Game Jam 2018, Shrinking Pains is a short narrative experience that explores a semi-autobiographical struggle with anorexia.

Story
Play as a sufferer of anorexia as they navigate their life and relationships.

Features
  • Choose your partner preference before you play.
  • Strong black and white visuals.
  • Immersive original soundtrack.
  • Multiple endings.
  • Explores mental health.
  • Narrative driven visual novel.

CharactersIsabella is a gentle girl with a wicked sense of humour. She is a professional violinist with a great love of sitcoms.

Taylor is prickly young man with a warm heart. He works as a software engineer by day and sells his knitting on Etsy in his spare time.

Yuuto has been your best friend for years and put up with your emotional baggage as long as he's known you. He's reliable, dependable and can't text to save his life.

Vivienne's claw-like nails chime against her wineglass when she's talking. They leave long red marks against your skin as she pulls you to the door...

Hunter looks good smoking in his leather jacket. When he puts his hand on your neck you don't know if you feel excited or scared...

Content Warning
Shrinking Pains deals with potentially distressing themes of mental illness and destructive behaviour. Be warned that some of the content is fairly graphic and may be upsetting to some players.

Cover art by Emily Chew

What Steam players say

Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.

Recommended Jun 30, 2026
harrowing
Recommended Jun 14, 2026
It hits the right feeling.
Recommended May 25, 2026
Interesting play.
Recommended Apr 14, 2026
I love visual novels, and I think this one has such a good understanding of it's own medium. It takes advantage of all the things that make a visual novel special (text boxes, choice selection, speech bubbles, etc.) to drive home its themes. It's succinct and concise. Every choice is intentional. It's a very tight story. It knows it doesn't need fluff and it knows the best way to get its message across is with little fanfare. It's not like there's much fanfare from an ED as it kills you. I went and ate a proper meal after playing this.
Recommended Dec 13, 2025
oh its been a while since a game made me feel like this qwq i love it
Recommended Nov 3, 2025
Игра 'Shrinking Pains' - это весьма необычный и затягивающий платформер-головоломка. Уникальная механика уменьшения главного героя открывает интересные перспективы для решения задач и исследования уровней. Вначале освоиться с управлением и пониманием границ уменьшения может быть непривычно, но после этого игра действительно начинает раскрываться. Дизайн уровней продуман до мелочей и требует не только ловкости, но и логического мышления. Необходимо тщательно планировать свои действия и использовать уменьшение, чтобы пробираться сквозь узкие проходы, перепрыгивать препятствия и активировать механизмы. Визуальная составляющая приятная, хоть и не поражает воображение, но гармонично сочетается с геймплеем. Небольшая продолжительность игры скорее плюс, чем минус, так как позволяет сохранить свежесть механики и не успевает надоесть. Сложность увеличивается постепенно, и ближе к концу некоторые головоломки заставят поломать голову. Игра оставляет приятное послевкусие и ощущение удовлетворения от решения непростых задач. Рекомендую всем любителям платформеров и головоломок, ищущим что-то новое и необычное.

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