Every now and then a game comes along that attempts to address a delicate and rare issue. Minority studio's debut title Papo y Yo does just that. The platforming-puzzle game of sorts is quite explicitly about a young boy and his alcoholic and abusive father. While the game might be "a bit on the nose" for some, it actually reveals quite a bit of narrative depth and artistry. Join us this week on the podcast as Scott and I discuss this indie gem. As always leave your comments below and check out the trailer for Papo y Yo below.
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Show notes:
- Run time: 41 min 50 sec
- Music provided by Brad Sucks
I was quite impressed with Papo y Yo and I hope to see more games like it in the future. It wasn't very difficult, but in my opinion that's the way to go with story-heavy games. I also think making the themes explicit was the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to get stuck in an "it's just a game" mentality, at least for
me. There were a few bits where I knew what to do, but ended up trapped in a near endless loop of being battered by the Monster. My first reaction was frustration over bad game design, but when I remembered what that represented... it made a serious impact.
I was a little concerned about what would happen once I "won" the game, but I thought the bit with the shaman was handled perfectly. In fact I thought the whole story was handled in an even-handed, adult manner, which is an incredible feat for a video game, especially one with such a deeply personal story.
Oh, and I really enjoyed your discussion, as always!
Glad you liked it!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the amount of restraint the game showed as well. As you say, games often fall into the trap of always having a bombastic (usually triumphant) end, so I was very glad to see something that was both measured and meaningful.