A Game Called Paako

About

A Game Called Paako is a single player action game. It was developed by Team Paako and was released on March 22, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

A Game Called Paako is a pixel-art 2D platformer metagame that tells the story of a game major grad student named Chaoran making his thesis game project A Game Called Paako.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 64 reviews

story7 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

The game features a unique and engaging concept that explores the process of game development, providing a fresh perspective.
The atmosphere is well-crafted, with well-written characters and an inspiring story that resonates with aspiring game developers.
Despite some bugs, many players found the gameplay fun and challenging, with a mix of humor and meta-commentary that adds to the experience.

The game suffers from significant pacing issues, with long dialogue sequences that can be frustrating and unskippable.
Many players experienced technical issues, including freezing and bugs that hindered gameplay progression.
The requirement to purchase DLC to fully experience the game and achieve completion was seen as a negative aspect, leading to feelings of frustration among players.

story
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
37%
19%
The game's story is a captivating exploration of the indie development process, blending humor and personal narrative to create an engaging experience. While some players found the meta references and extensive text overwhelming, many praised the well-written characters and the unique balance between gameplay and storytelling. Overall, the narrative is seen as both inspiring and entertaining, making it a standout element of the game.
- “The atmosphere is well set, the characters are well written, and the captivating story is set in a pseudo-real development process (with embellishments, I assume). My only complaint is that the achievements don't offer any hints besides where they take place.”
- “It has a great storyline, fun and challenging gameplay, and the uniqueness it was meant to have.”
- “A funny game that tells the story of an indie developer who is about to graduate from university; this game is basically his graduation project/thesis.”
- “The indie dev brand humor and cliché one-track story concept of being an indie dev, the deep dive into the dev's ego, and the large amount of text that essentially cannot be skipped... could not name a single positive element.”
- “But it's a very realistic and interesting story on how to be one or what it takes to become one.”
- “☐ no story”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it boring and lacking depth, while others appreciate its fun and challenging elements, as well as its unique storytelling. However, issues such as poorly implemented mechanics and excessive reading detract from the overall experience for many. Overall, the gameplay is seen as solid but not without significant flaws.
- “It has a great storyline, fun and challenging gameplay, and the uniqueness it was meant to have.”
- “The gameplay is pretty solid, the charm of Paako is pretty fun, and the story of the dev himself is inspiring.”
- “The jokes are on point and the balance between the gameplay and the storytelling is so unique for a game; I love it.”
- “Frankly, I'd have finished it if the dash mechanic hadn't been so horribly implemented.”
- “This mechanic is introduced after a while, and nothing in the game prepares you for it.”
- “It's kind of a cool game but it's very boring, to be honest; there's a lot of reading and there isn't much gameplay to it.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of meta-commentary and indie developer clichés, with some players finding it amusing while others feel it drags on and becomes tedious. While there are moments of genuine humor, the overall experience can be polarizing, with some appreciating the unique take on the indie dev journey and others criticizing the excessive text and pacing. Overall, the humor is hit-or-miss, resonating more with those who enjoy self-referential and quirky storytelling.
- “Paako provides a unique experience; the funny thing is that all things are done purposefully.”
- “Simple and funny.”
- “I love the humor lol”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting frequent freezes that render it unplayable, particularly during dialogue and after defeating the first enemy. Overall, the experience is described as buggy and frustrating.
- “Unplayable; if you keep the dialog at the right pace, you won't get further than the second text line. Once past that, after beating the first enemy and the camera zooms out, it freezes again, and I wasn't able to get past that in any way.”
- “Bit buggy from my experience, though.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics in the game are noted for their unique and artistic style, effectively complementing the autobiographical narrative. Players appreciate the visual storytelling, which enhances the emotional depth of the experience. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's immersive quality.
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is praised for its strong character development and captivating story, set in a pseudo-realistic environment. However, some users feel that the lack of hints for achievements detracts from the overall experience.
- “The atmosphere is well set, the characters are well written, and the captivating story unfolds in a pseudo-real development process, with some embellishments, I assume.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players express that the grinding aspect of the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of effort akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it still feels like I'm nowhere.”