Playing a game about a boy with a prosthetic face while sitting in a dark room is one thing. Doing it on a handheld screen under your covers? That is a whole different level of creepy. Sally Face Nintendo Switch finally brought the cult classic to a portable format back in 2021, but even years later, people are still discovering why this version feels like the "definitive" way to experience Sal Fisher’s trauma.
Honestly, it's kind of a miracle the game exists on the Switch at all. Steve Gabry, the solo dev behind Portable Moose, spent nearly a decade piecing this story together. It started as a 2007 sketch inspired by a literal nightmare and turned into a five-episode saga that makes Stranger Things look like a Saturday morning cartoon.
The Weird Logic of Sally Face Nintendo Switch
Most people think porting an indie game to Switch is just a "copy-paste" job. It wasn't. For Sally Face Nintendo Switch, the transition meant taking a game built on Unity—originally designed for a mouse and keyboard—and making it feel natural on a controller.
If you've played the PC version, you know the drill. You click on a dresser, you find a coin. On the Switch, you're walking Sal around with the left stick. The game uses a "proximity" system where prompts pop up when you're near something important.
But here is the catch.
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Some items don't have prompts. It’s frustrating. You'll find yourself mashing the A button against a random wall because you know a secret is there, but the game isn't holding your hand. Some call it "jank." I think it actually adds to the atmosphere. It makes you feel as desperate and confused as Sal himself.
Why the "Gear Boy" Hits Different on Handheld
The coolest part of the Sally Face Nintendo Switch version is the meta-layer. In the game, Sal uses a "Gear Boy" to talk to ghosts.
- You're holding a Switch.
- Sal is holding a Gear Boy.
- You are both looking at a handheld screen to find the dead.
It creates this weirdly immersive loop. When you’re playing the "mini-games" within the Gear Boy to unlock lore, the Switch’s screen size mimics the retro feel perfectly. It feels less like playing a game and more like you've found a haunted piece of hardware in a thrift store.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Story
If you're coming into this thinking it's just a "spooky ghost story," you're going to be blindsided. By the time you hit Episode 4, "The Trial," the game pivots from "haunted apartment" to "cosmic horror and mass tragedy."
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A lot of players complain that the ending of the fifth episode feels "off the rails." I get it. It introduces combat mechanics—like using a guitar to blast shadow creatures—that weren't there before. But if you look at Gabry’s inspirations (90s cartoons like Ren & Stimpy mixed with heavy metal culture), the tonal shifts make total sense. It's supposed to be jarring.
The Physical Edition Hunt
If you're a collector, you probably already know about the Super Rare Games release. They put out a physical version of Sally Face Nintendo Switch in March 2022. They only made 3,000 standard copies and 2,000 Collector's Editions.
They sold out almost instantly.
If you’re looking for a copy today, be prepared to pay. Resale prices on eBay for the sealed SRG #65 version are regularly hovering between $130 and $200. Is it worth it? For the stickers and the trading cards, maybe. But for most of us, the $14.99 eShop version does the job just fine.
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Performance: Does it Actually Run Well?
Basically, yes. Because the game relies on hand-drawn 2D art and a "grunge" aesthetic, it doesn't need a massive GPU to look good. I noticed zero lag during the heavy-duty scenes in Episode 5.
The load times between floors in Addison Apartments are snappy. That's a huge plus because you will be doing a lot of backtracking. You’ll go from Larry’s basement to the fifth floor and back about twenty times per episode. If the load times sucked, the game would be unplayable.
One thing to watch out for: the save system. It’s all autosave. The game doesn't always tell you when it’s saving, which is terrifying if you’re trying to hunt for those "optional" achievements that require very specific dialogue choices.
Actionable Tips for Your First Playthrough
Don't just rush the main story. You'll miss about 40% of the context.
- Talk to everyone twice. Characters like Kim or Mr. Addison have dialogue that changes after minor world events.
- The Gear Boy is your best friend. Even if a room looks empty, pull it out. If the screen flashes, there’s a ghost nearby.
- Check the "clue" items. Some puzzles in the later episodes require you to actually look at the art on items in your inventory.
- Keep your headphones on. The soundtrack (also by Steve Gabry) is essential for the "vibe." Plus, some ghosts make directional noises that help you find them.
If you've finished the game and feel like your brain is melting, check out the Sally Face: Art, Lore, and More book by Titan Books. It explains a lot of the symbolism that is easy to blink and miss while you're busy trying not to get murdered by a cult.
The sequel is currently in development, so now is the best time to finish the original on your Switch. Just... maybe leave a light on.