A piece of paper may seem simple in appearance, but it truly is more than that. There’s so much you can do with just one sheet, the possibilities are endless. Origami can bring complexity to such a simple piece of paper by way of folding towards your desired goal, which, in time, can bring something to life.Paper Trailadds color to the traditional sheet of paper and brings all the complexities of origami onto your screen.
Newfangled Games’Paper Trailsets a new standard in the puzzle genre with its simplistic-yet-complex design. This marks the first title for the London company, which was founded by BAFTA-winning game developer Henry Hoffman and award-winning artist Frederick Hoffman. Just as a painter to their canvas, the love and connection to the puzzle genre is alive and refreshing in this colorful title.
Paper Trailfollows Paige, a budding academic, who is accepted into university to study astrophysics. Her parents don’t want her to leave home, but much to their dismay, Paige runs away in the middle of the night and embarks on her journey to the big city. Along her path, she will utilize her powers to travel across different places that bring their own challenges as well as unique characters. Paige’s journey from her small seaside town to the big city is one that will enlighten her, and the players, about the world that awaits in front of them.
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Hu(e)ge Inspiration
Artistically, this game brings forth a unique flat aesthetic, taking inspiration from different forms of art like printmaking and watercolor. Its usage of the various styles of art and the vibrant colors work incredibly well. All the different places that Paige visits are unique and fit the tone of the environment. The color schemes are brought forth and add an immersive quality to the game. Some towns range from shades of red to deep purples, which is hard to achieve, yet it’s done with ease.
The color schemes are brought forth and add an immersive quality to the game.
Visually,Paper Trailis similar to theMonument Valleypuzzle series. While both games display a rich exploration of color, this game in particular brings things to life with its use of 2D design. Speaking of design, the music made for the game adds a perfect backdrop to the environments. To make a masterpiece, one must be able to combine style, color and technique to accomplish such a feat, and this title does that.
A Paper Cut Above the Rest
From a technical standpoint,Paper Trailpulls off an engaging complexity with its usage of origami. In the game, players must solve puzzles by folding the paper world around you to create a path. Some are as simple as turning a page, but don’t be fooled by the looks of the game. As soon as the player thinks they got it down, a new place will bring a new set of challenges. A few puzzles felt repetitive, but the game brought new elements to add complexity to the mix. To help ease your troubles, there’s a hint page available.
From a technical standpoint,Paper Trailpulls off an engaging complexity with its usage of origami.
The game is interactive with its use of mechanics and storytelling. Stemming back to the immersive quality, the game lets players actually turn the page as Paige unravels her story in the cutscenes. Origami is displayed beautifully in these scenes and in the game itself. There are two sides to every piece of paper and this game perfectly innovates that concept. It’s refreshing to go from one stage to the next and no two are exactly the same.
Folding the World in Satisfying Ways in Paper Trail
While the game brings its storybook qualities to the front page, the story is lackluster. Characters have their own personalities, but don’t add much to the overall story. They feel like they are brought in as more of an aesthetic builder than a character in Paige’s plot. The story brings an emotional quality to it with the use of family relationships and growing up, but leaves players with a baseline sense of the concepts.
Closing Comments:
Paper Traildelivers the perfect blend of color and art style that’s a standout among the puzzle game genre. The technical mechanics are innovative and creatively integrate new challenges as the story goes on, making the experience engaging and thoughtful. While this storybook looks visually stunning, the plot lacks a sense of depth and doesn’t add much to the games’ experience.Paper Trailputs a twist on the simple indie game and centers itself on display for everyone to see in all its splendor.
Paper Trail
Version Reviewed: Nintendo Switch
Paper Trail is a top-down puzzle adventure about leaving home, set in a foldable, paper world. The game is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Android and iOS.
