Julian & Friends

What begins as a cheerful birthday errand gradually turns into a strange, unnerving trip through a town where every favor comes with a little more baggage. Julian & Friends frames its psychological horror around Julian’s attempt to arrange a surprise party for Julia, the person he loves, with help from a cast tied to the bizarre 98xx universe. Its tone deliberately swings between goofy cartoon shenanigans and unsettling implications, echoing the awkward charm and creeping discomfort of early-2000s point-and-click adventures. Rather than relying on constant chases or combat, it makes the player sit with its odd characters, increasingly suspect situations, and the sense that something beneath the celebration is badly wrong.

Most of the experience plays as an interactive film built around voiced conversations, scripted scenes, and a sequence of surreal errands. Julian travels around town and beyond it—across the sea, into space, and through other absurd detours—helping characters solve their own problems so they can contribute to the party plan. Ten minigames break up the dialogue-heavy pacing, giving players occasional hands-on tasks without turning the adventure into a traditional puzzle game. The key progression system is its opening code input: new codes become available over time and can alter scenes, story outcomes, and endings, while potentially corrupted codes add an intentionally risky, mysterious layer to repeat runs.

The code system is the standout feature, since it encourages players to revisit familiar events and compare how far the story can bend without completely abandoning its central premise. Full voice acting helps sell both the comedy and the unease, while unlockable secrets and 20 achievements offer reasons to search for every variation. A streaming mode also makes it easier to share the experience without exposing every surprise at once. Players who enjoy meta-horror, branching oddities, and internet-era point-and-click aesthetics should find plenty to chew on, especially if games like Doki Doki Literature Club or imscared appeal more than action-focused horror.