Shady Bears — Play Free Online

What Shady Bears is about

Shady Bears is a small platform game by Air Guslar, released in November 2023. You control a bear that gathers acorns, and the catch is your own shadow. Every move you make is copied by a dark double that trails behind you along the same path. Touch that shadow and the game is over, which makes the path you have just walked the most dangerous place in the level.

Things on the screen

• Acorns are the main collectible and the thing every run is about.
• Honey raises your acorn count, but it draws bees, so grabbing it is a risk.
• Bees arrive when honey is around and are something to stay clear of.
• Fireflies are helpers: one can wipe out a shadow, giving you back some room.

Controls for up to four bears

The game can be played alone or with friends on the same keyboard, up to four players at once. Each bear has its own keys:

Player	Left	Right	Jump
Player 1	Left arrow	Right arrow	Up arrow
Player 2	A or Q	D	W or Z
Player 3	J	L	I
Player 4	F	H	T

Player two can use either of two keys for moving left and for jumping. Poki lists the game as playable on phones and tablets too, in landscape orientation.

Playing together

In a shared game every bear leaves its own shadow, and you have to avoid the shadows of the other players as well as your own. That turns the screen into a crowded puzzle where everyone works together to keep collecting acorns without anyone running into a trail.

Tips

• Because the shadow repeats your path, the routes you have already taken are the dangerous ones. Try to keep heading toward ground you have not crossed yet rather than doubling back.
• Treat honey as optional. The extra acorns help, but the bees it brings add another thing to dodge while your shadow is still behind you.
• Save room for a firefly. Removing a shadow frees up room, so heading for one when you feel boxed in can rescue a run.