As part of LudoNarraCon 2025 event, we took a look at Clickolding, developed by Strange Scaffold and published by Outersloth, a dark parody of the clicker genre. You are in a seedy motel room entertaining a man in a creepy mask. He hopes you’re good with your hands, because your clicking finger is going to get a thorough workout tonight. And, yes, he is going to watch. 

Watching from the click-chair

The game begins with us sitting on the side of a motel bed, facing a chair. Seated on the chair is a man, who I will dub as the Clickold from here on. The Clickold tells us why we are here; that he is willing to pay for a medical operation that we need. He is really, really into hands and that tally counter we have. The premise is simple: we click 10,000 times and he will give us the money stashed under the bed. Oh, and he has a gun.

Clickolding is a story that is a metaphor for cuckoldry and sex work, that much is obvious. The Clickold tells the protagonist that he is spending time with them instead of his wife and children at home. That is something no one will understand. He is older and past his prime, but your younger, nimble fingers bring back fond memories. The Clickold remains dominant and controlling because he is strong. And he has that gun. You see what I’m getting at here?

Time keeps on clicking, clicking…

So, how do you pad the game for around 40 minutes, doing little more than clicking a single button? Clickolding tries to find ways to entertain or distract you from the monotony. Aside from telling you about his past, there are times when the Clickold instructs the player, not always politely, to do some tasks, such as clicking in a different room corner, walking into the hallway, or finding the key for the locked bathroom. He also references an ominous dream he had, where he once met a man whom he clicked with. It’s the man whose mask is a visage of.

The game succeeds at this on varying levels. The stories that the Clickold tells of his life make the otherwise creepy pervert into someone pitiable. The man in his dreams offers some intrigue into the outside world beyond. Hearing the 69 jokes you see coming a mile away brings an immature glee. But the player stopping their counting because the Clickold wants you to adjust the thermostat for the third time makes Clickolding feel more tedious than clicking a single button for several minutes already succeeds at. 

In the afterglow

At the end of Clickolding, I felt mixed. Lost in the daze, I still felt the muscle memory of absolutely demolishing my space bar as the credits roll. It’s less cathartic than it is me questioning what I gained from the experience. When offered to keep clicking past the number in game after meeting the man from the dreams (which I won’t elaborate on due to spoilers), I instead walked out the room’s door. 

That said, on the topic of the credits, I have to mention the music. RJ Lake, the composer behind most of Strange Scaffold’s other games, performs a beautiful jazz number. I’ve heard Xalavier Nelson Jr. showcase his rapping abilities throughout El Paso, Elsewhere. His soaring vocals on the Clickolding credits song, “Taking Today,” tickled my brain. The rest of the soundtrack appropriately feels quiet and disassociated from the characters, but this song is a banger. I would love to hear more jazz compositions from the team!

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, I decided to give Clickolding a score that’s on the lower end, all things considered. While I appreciate the cerebral concept and the different ways you can dissect it, the gameplay loop felt too unsatisfying. The idea is intuitive, the visuals are suitably grimy, but the game itself felt lacking. Clickolding feels like a game jam title that you wish to see expanded, rather than a complete experience. Regardless, I do have to commend Strange Scaffold for creating something more weird and esoteric after the fun and action-packed El Paso, Elsewhere.

Despite this, if you are a fan of experimental games, Clickolding is still worth a playthrough. It has a dark, perverse vibe that only so many other games can successfully pull off. It is a masterclass in making the player feel dirty and exploited, even when nothing sexual takes place. 

Clickolding was released on Steam on July 16th, 2024. The game is retail priced at $2.99, but is on sale for $2.09 during LudoNarraCon.