Goosebumps: Terror in Little Creek is a genuinely admirable attempt at repurposing the formula from modern horror games like Outlast and Resident Evil into a kid-friendly adventure game. The results are scrappy and predictably low budget, but there’s fun to be had here.

You play as Sloane Spencer, a bespectacled swot from the sleepy suburban town of Little Creek. Strange sightings have imposed a curfew on the locals, and you and your scaredy-cat friends are determined to get to the bottom of it.

While it shares little in common with R.L. Stine’s legendary fictional universe, the game ultimately captures the spirit of the novels as kids overcome impossible odds.

Gameplay is divided into two core elements: stealth action and puzzle solving. For the latter you’ll need a keen eye, as while the brainteasers are never particularly challenging, they do rely on you paying attention to clues. A hint system will help out youngsters, but we suspect most children over the age of 12 should be able to figure out what to do.

As for the more action orientated elements, you’ll often find yourself sneaking past foes and using your slingshot to create distractions. Enemies tend to follow simple patterns which makes them easy to manipulate, but the stealth is just about good enough to create a sense of tension when required.

Our biggest criticism is that Sloane’s movement can be glacial, even when she breaks into a sprint, and that makes the constant backtracking a bit of a chore. You do unlock fast travel points and shortcuts, but you’ll feel like you’re going through the motions at times as you amble your way around the same streets and locations.

The game’s also extremely flat visually, with very basic geometry and texture work. A couple of landmarks look nice, like a local theatre and museum, but generally you’ll be dealing with samey looking scenery populated by copy-and-paste art assets that suit the aesthetic but don’t really draw you in.

Still, with the campaign running for around four or five hours, this is a breezy experience that repurposes many of the main elements from the horror genre for kids. The art direction is a bit bland and it certainly won’t entertain anyone above the age of 15, but as a spooky experience for young’uns there are some scrappy spooks on offer here.