If you’re a gamer of a certain, let’s say, generation… You might fondly recall what I’d consider the heyday of point-and-click adventure games. Between Grim Fandango, Day of the Tentacle, and a series of Indiana Jones games, just to name a few, the 90’s were full of great ideas.
Nowadays, studios big and small are coming together to iterate on these retro ideas, mechanics, and styles. Phonopolis has arrived as a fantastic example of a genre piece that is narrative-driven with wonderful writing, clever puzzles, and characters that portray charming personalities and complex feelings.
It’s not very long and not very difficult to complete, but my time with it will stick with me as it excels in a number of fields, from its presentation to its story; it’s a game to remember.
Phonopolis is Game Artistry at Work
It’s actually incredible what the team at Amanita Design has done with this game. You might call it paper craft; you might call it stop-motion, but it’s likely all that and more. It’s striking what they’ve created here. It’s truly beautiful and awe-inspiring in my opinion. The studio and artists worked from the ground up to create a fully physical, fully realized world with paper structures and characters.
Phonopolis is a wonder to look at and interact with. Whether you’re just walking the streets of this strange world or interacting with the dozens of puzzles you’ll encounter, it’s unlike anything you’ve played before. As they put it in their developer documentary, you can watch in full on YouTube: “I feel a certain great potential and freedom in games.” That mindset comes through in the final product. As I played through the roughly 4-hour experience, I was constantly amazed at what was put together. The presentation in this game is one of the finest I’ve seen in some time. Only a few titles come to mind that wowed me in this way: FEZ and Oxenfree.
Papercraft Puzzles
In Phonopolis, our unsuspecting hero is Felix. He works on the front lines and at the bottom of the totem pole, among a long line of workers in the city of Phonopolis. We join our goofy, unassuming yellow-clad individual as he helps clean up an old theatre. The story and adventure literally unfold from there. Because the developers have crafted a world made of paper, string, and other seemingly innocuous items, what you do as Felix often comes down to simple tasks that lead to wondrous discoveries.
Because of its point-and-click nature, Phonopolis lets you pick and choose what you interact with. Grabbing paper corners, pulling on strings, and eventually solving puzzles are a tactile experience. Early on, you’ll notice these more obvious opportunities to uncover a solution or lead Felix to the next area. As the game goes on, these are just foundational ideas for how things unravel and are used to progress puzzles and the overall narrative.
Using traditional puzzle logic doesn’t always work here. Your mileage may vary on that approach to design, but I found the idea of messing and tinkering with what was laid out in front of me to be a pretty fun time. Some of the solutions are easy, while others will have you thinking for quite some time. There’s never any huge pressure points, though: no clocks, no ticking bombs, or scissors coming in to cut through your world if you take too long.
Like Nothing You’ve Heard Before
Sound also plays a massive role in Phonopolis, both in its gameplay and its story. The city and world itself are being ruled by a totalitarian-of-sorts who controls workers like Felix and others by blaring noise to kick them into gear. But when our little guy finds a way to minimize this effect, he’s off to explore and solve the puzzles put before him. A man on the loose in a world of control.
As seen in part of the documentary above, Phonopolis itself is made up of some very crafty pieces of art. From the papercraft that shapes every visual aspect of the game to the creative noise and musical imagination. Felix is off to be the hero of the day, but he’ll need to overcome a variety of puzzles involving visual and auditory challenges. Interacting with the world around him can set off chain reactions of discovery that have had him smiling ear to ear multiple times. I do wish that some of the later puzzles switched up the formula, though, especially in the final scenes when you’re taking down the big bad of the day.
Adding to the wonder of the overall design is the fantastic writing, backed by some very, very charming voice-over work. Each line is narrated by the same actor, who reads it with whimsy and care. Think of it as someone sitting down with a children’s storybook and giving each character their own voice. Felix has one voice, while local elders have a slightly deeper tone, and female characters take the voice up a notch. It’s all super charming and really added to my enjoyment of the game.
All of the visual and audio creation in Phonopolis is the standout by far. Sure, the story is interesting and apt for our times, the puzzles can be clever and fun, but it’s what you see and hear that truly makes this game stand out above the rest.
Verdict
Phonopolis really is like nothing I’ve seen before. If you think back to the classic days of Pixar and Toy Story, Jurassic Park, and early stop-motion films, the wonder and amazement the public had over those accomplishments should be seen here as well.
The pure creativity and craft at work is the real draw. The gameplay isn’t anything too unique and isn’t all that complex most of the time, but it is still a good time. I came for the presentation and artistry, and stayed for what they brought to the table. Phonopolis is a perfect, shorter, and charming adventure I can easily recommend.
[The publisher provided a copy of the game for review purposes.]
Reviewed on: PC
