Additionally, some panels will have transparent spots, which means you can place them on other panels to conjure an object into them. You may have the left part of a room in one panel, and have to place a panel containing the right side in the proper location to continue moving forward. Many of the puzzles in Gorogoa are solved by moving these panels into a specific arrangement. Each panel can have a piece of the world on it which you can move and interchange with the other panels at will. When starting the game, you’re presented with a set of 2×2 panels, like a comic strip or a photo album. The gameplay is reminiscent of titles like the Samarost series and Machinarium, but with a twist that makes it unique. It might be silly to find a story distracting, but I think being able to just enjoy the sights and sounds of the game without having to be too emotionally involved with the characters made the whole experience more relaxing. In a way, I think the lack of a very coherent story would have been detrimental in this game because the artwork and animation are what’s really appealing. I found that there’s plenty to love about Gorogoa even if the story is somewhat sketchy. A few years ago I would have found the whole thing too pretentious to enjoy, but I’ve learned just to appreciate what I can when it comes to these avant-garde games, and leave the rest alone. Also, the little boy might be part of the older men’s imaginations. There’s also what seems to be depressed and downtrodden older men scattered throughout the panels. It involves a young boy collecting five colored orbs to stop some sort of rainbow dragon. There is a story, though I didn’t 100% follow it. Gorogoa doesn’t rely heavily on exposition to engage the player. Of course, Gorogoa has the advantage of having a static layout to facilitate the art style, but it’s still impressive.

It seems like so often now that even with games styled as if they were hand drawn there’s a certain sharpness that really brings attention to the fact that the art is computer-assisted. I think what struck me most was the “softness” of the art. The animation and illustrations remind me of a classic children’s book. The developer Jason Roberts spent seven years crafting Gorogoa, and you can tell the care that went into the game with the absolutely lovely artwork and the cleverness of the puzzles. Most of those titles never quite make it to completion, but Gorogoa stands out as one of the few that is a fully released game. It was another one of those labor of love games that you see pop up now and then. It was a game I found on my own while reading some article, and I really enjoyed what I saw. I first played Gorogoa in an alpha version a year or so ago.