The game puts a unique twist on the point-and-click mystery/puzzle genre, by way of the story and characters playing out in the imagination of the 10-year-old girl protagonist, Amber – partnered with the game’s namesake Ted E. Bear, a archetypal, gruff 1950’s detective. Amber and Ted must solve and find clues with the player’s help, and interview a cast of imaginary toy-based characters to progress the story.

The game is presented in a black and white, 2D animation style, and also features a ’non-linear’ storyline akin to Telltale Games IPs, where certain decisions will affect characters and events. It promises sarcastic, dark, and funny dialogue from start to finish, which is available in several languages besides English. There is also a ‘simple hint system to avoid pixel hunting’, which should avoid some of those classic “I’m stuck!” frustrations which the genre can be prone to.

According to Andrej Kovacevic, Game Director at Exordium Games:

From the trailer, it looks to be a well-polished and well-acted slice of story driven gaming.

Episode 1 of Bear With Me is available for purchase on Steam and Humble at 10% off until the 15th August for $4.49 USD.