Every now and then, when you think you've seen it all, there comes a game that completely blows your mind, and makes you think about just how great of a medium games are. On that note, say hi to Gorogoa.

The simplest way to describe it is that it is a puzzle game about manipulating image tiles, but that undersells its brilliance. Gorogoa features a young boy on a quest to stop a monstrous creature, and has you dismantling and putting back together hand drawn scenes he's in, creating and severing continuity between panels, as you shuffle them around trying to get him to his goal.

It's like nothing you ever played before: an incredibly surreal experience that mandates lateral thinking, but at the same time, feels approachable and intuitive -- the pieces fall into place naturally as you play, the game's beautifully hand-drawn visuals and easy to understand controls leading you through its scenes just as you lead the boy in his journey.

Combine that with the game being easily accessible, with it being available on PC as well as major mobile and console platforms, it makes me want to go around showing it to people. And not only people who like puzzle games, not only people who like video games in general, this is a game that deserves to be seen by everyone. It's just that good.

Reviewed on May 15, 2022


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