Gorogoa 4+

I bought this game on accident thinking it was a demo or free and just noticed as I authorized it that it was a paid app. Due to that, I decided to actually play it through since I spent the money, and while it was what I spent my time on instead of what I was supposed to do that afternoon, I found the game to be thoroughly entertaining and very well drawn. The art is part of the perks in this game. Puzzles were fun, I was very confused at first as I had no idea what it was apart from it is a puzzle game but eventually I got the hang of it and the puzzles became more addicting and was a satisfying play-through.
I would have liked it to be even longer or have more chapters, because it is good. For the time and entertainment it was a decent return.
I will likely look for more by this creator because of that. Accidental buy in this case is now a fan of this enterprise so it’s nice to discover something like that when I wasn’t expecting to.
I don’t typically do reviews but given this circumstance I thought I’d put this out there.

This is the first time I sought to review and rate a game (the game did not prompt me to rate it). It is easily the most original and unique game I’ve ever played. And the most enjoyable.

The game introduces a boy in search of special objects which he needs to collect. The journey of how this boy completes his task, however, is one of a kind. The story unfolds across the game’s 4 panels, almost like comic book panels.

These panel images are to be explored, and the way one manipulates and explore these panels to aid in the boy’s search separate this game from any other.

Panels can be moved around, and sometimes be pulled apart to reveal layers and portals to other places. They can layer on top of one another to produce passageways or access points for the boy character to proceed to other panels. It can be disorienting at first getting the hang of the game’s design, but it is so so very worth it.

Some games can make you frustrated because of being stuck not being able to solve something. THIS game, amazingly, doesn’t evoke that. There are many tasty challenges, and the mind and intuition expand as you play more. The game invites this kind of playful participation and it pays off big time.

There is a storybook and a cinematic vibe to the art of the game. The music is wonderful and not intrusive. Truly worth the price and the accolades it is receiving.

Gorogoa is fascinating in its visual appeal but lacks the complexity and depth of most other “puzzle” games such as The Room series. While Girogia deviates from the other conventional puzzle games in its artistry and mechanics, the price seemed far too high for the overall product. Gorgeous hand-drawn art aside, Gorogoa had a detached plot that did not leave the player with a sense of mystery but rather a sense of bored confusion. Lastly, the music did not enhance the game experience and acted as a repetitive filler giving a convoluted ambience to the convoluted premise. However, I am giving Goragoa four stars because the artwork and game mechanics are truly stunning. I look forward to playing similar games with high artistic value that incorporate a more engaging plot (i.e. The Room series). While I am glad I played Gorogoa, I would not have paid as much as I did for the very short completion time and loose premise the game offers. Overall, Gorogoa relies on stunning graphic art and novel game mechanics to present itself as an empty, overpriced, but beautifully crafted box.