Fran Bow

Point-and-click psychological horror with puzzles and a hidden grotesque world

Killmonday Games AB · Released Aug 27, 2015

Adventure Indie

Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive; 97% of 23K
Recent reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive; 97% of 176 in 30 days
Playing now: 52; peak 24h 70
Steam Deck: Verified
Last update: 3 years ago; May 9, 2023

Free demo available, 1 playing it now: get the demo.

Metacritic: 70/100 (critic reviews)

What is Fran Bow?

A single-player, hand-drawn 2D point-and-click psychological horror adventure. You explore scenes, find objects, interact with characters, and solve story-based puzzles, using Fran's medication to reveal a hidden version of the world as she escapes a children's asylum and searches for her missing cat.

For you if...

+you like story-driven point-and-click puzzles and surreal horror
+you appreciate hand-drawn art and dark psychological themes
+you want a single-player adventure with varied puzzles

Not for you if...

−you dislike gore and disturbing themes
−you expect every puzzle solution to follow clear logic
−you want a straightforward story with a conclusive ending

What players say

97% of 23,055 reviews are positive · 97% of 176 in the last 30 days

Players often praise the hand-drawn art, macabre atmosphere, and treatment of trauma and mental health. Common complaints focus on illogical puzzle solutions that encourage using a guide, along with a surreal later narrative and ending that some players find confusing or unresolved.

Screenshots and trailer

Fran Bow system requirements

As published by the developer.

Minimum

OS: 7+
Processor: 1.7 GHz Dual Core
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260, ATI Radeon 4870 HD, or equivalent card with at least 512 MB VRAM
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Storage: 5 GB available space