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Koira

Koira delivers a gentle, focused experience built around emotion, atmosphere, and a growing bond between you and a loyal companion. Its story unfolds without text, relying on animation, sound, and simple interactions to carry meaning. The gameplay stays minimal by design, complementing the game’s emotional rhythm rather than distracting from it. Visually and aurally, it’s subtle but expressive, with clever details that add personality without ever shouting for attention. While it lacks extra content like unlockables or a platinum trophy, it offers something more lasting—a thoughtful journey that stays with you long after it ends.
Koira Game Cover
94%Game Brain Score
story, music
grinding, stability
96% User Score Based on 142 reviews
Critic Score 87%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

LinuxPCPlaystation 5Mac OSSteam DeckWindowsPlayStation
Koira Game Cover

About

Koira is a single player casual action adventure game. It was developed by Studio Tolima and was released on April 1, 2025. It received positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Save a puppy and embark on a heartwarming, hand-drawn adventure together.

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96%
Audience ScoreBased on 142 reviews
story36 positive mentions
grinding5 negative mentions

  • Koira features stunning hand-drawn visuals and an emotionally evocative soundtrack that enhances the storytelling experience without the use of dialogue.
  • The game offers a heartwarming narrative about friendship and companionship, allowing players to bond with their adorable dog companion through various interactive activities.
  • It's a relaxing and cozy experience, perfect for those looking for a short, emotional journey that resonates deeply with themes of love and care.
  • The game suffers from optimization issues, with reports of high GPU usage and frame drops, which can detract from the overall experience.
  • The save system is frustrating, as it relies on checkpoints that are not clearly indicated, leading to potential loss of progress if the game is quit unexpectedly.
  • Some players found the gameplay mechanics, particularly the stealth sections, to be tedious and unbalanced, which can disrupt the flow of the narrative.
  • story
    82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Koira" is a heartwarming and emotional journey centered on themes of friendship and community, conveyed entirely through stunning visuals and immersive sound design without the use of dialogue. Players appreciate its simple yet touching narrative, which resonates deeply, especially for those who cherish the bond with pets. While the gameplay is relaxed and the puzzles are not overly challenging, the overall experience is described as cozy and impactful, making it a perfect choice for fans of emotional storytelling.

    • “I love games that can tell a great story without ever using words.”
    • “The story is simple yet very touching, covering themes of community, friendship, feelings, and the necessity of anger within those terms, but also its effects it will have in your relationships.”
    • “Koira is an incredibly relaxing game that tells a touching story without words.”
    • “The story is completely open to interpretation with no dialogue or text, which can be problematic, but although there were points at which I felt numb to what was happening, there are also some tense, dramatic, and emotional moments, especially if you are an animal lover because you will be invested in the animal’s survival against the cruel and sadistic hunters and their ravenous hounds.”
    • “From time to time, gameplay and story feels disconnected; a few of the puzzles are unbalanced, but overall this is a very lovely atmosphere.”
    • “Limited replayability: once you've experienced the story, there’s not much reason to revisit aside from reliving the emotions or showing it to someone new.”
  • music
    73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "Koira" is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, effectively complementing the game's stunning visuals and narrative. Players appreciate how the soundtrack enhances the storytelling, creating a cozy and immersive atmosphere, although some note that reliance on a single main track may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the combination of charming melodies and expressive sound design significantly contributes to the game's heartwarming experience.

    • “The visuals and music are where Koira truly shines, as the environments and the general art style are gorgeous even when they are so simple.”
    • “With its art that feels like a living painting and music that deepens the magic, the little dog by your side makes the journey even more special.”
    • “The relaxing and heartwarming combination of music, gameplay, and dog petting is a pure joy!”
    • “The sounds seem nice at first, but the more you progress through the game, the more situations you have where the background music clashes with a sound effect, creating really ugly dissonance.”
    • “Although the puzzles are creative, such as matching clouds or musical notes, they don't offer much challenge.”
    • “Once solved, you’re rewarded with an emotional musical score that, despite its repeated play, never began to sound old.”
  • emotional
    67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of "Koira" is widely praised for its heartwarming and touching narrative, conveyed entirely without dialogue through stunning visuals and evocative music. Players report experiencing a range of emotions, from joy to sadness, as they connect deeply with the bond between the protagonist and their canine companion, making it a memorable and impactful journey. The game effectively captures themes of friendship, community, and the bittersweet nature of life, resonating particularly with animal lovers and fans of emotional storytelling.

    • “The story is simple yet very touching, covering themes of community, friendship, feelings, and the necessity of anger within those terms, but also its effects it will have in your relationships.”
    • “A wordless narrative told through atmosphere, music, and subtle emotional cues, it masterfully captures the fragile bond between a lost soul and a loyal companion.”
    • “Koira is such a heartwarming, emotional, and beautiful game that I can't properly describe the experience of playing it in words.”
  • graphics
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming, hand-drawn art style that evokes a watercolor storybook aesthetic, enhancing the overall emotional experience. Players appreciate the simplicity and expressiveness of the visuals, which, combined with an immersive soundtrack, effectively convey the narrative without the use of text. Overall, the visuals are described as stunning and integral to the game's cozy and engaging atmosphere.

    • “The visuals and music are where Koira truly shines, as the environments and the general art style are gorgeous even when they are so simple.”
    • “Stunning visuals: the hand-drawn art style is minimal yet deeply expressive.”
    • “What makes the game truly amazing is its simplicity – there’s no clear guidance or dialogue, just striking, hand-drawn visuals and harmonious melodies which drive the journey forward.”
    • “The graphics look like a watercolor storybook painted by memory.”
    • “The cartoony art style and plain colors easily make playing the game feel like reading a children's storybook.”
    • “The simple, hand-drawn visuals and creative use of color naturally guide your progression without ever making you feel lost.”
  • gameplay
    29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in "Koira" is characterized by its chill and simple mechanics, primarily focusing on exploration, light puzzles, and mini-games that enhance the narrative experience. While some players found the stealth elements and certain puzzles frustrating, the overall atmosphere is described as relaxing and heartwarming, making it ideal for those seeking a compelling story without complex gameplay. The game effectively balances its intuitive mechanics with stunning visuals and sound design, creating a harmonious experience that prioritizes emotional engagement over action.

    • “The gameplay itself was nothing all that new, mostly puzzles, exploration, and mini-games, and I think that's for the best in a game so obviously focused on narrative through music and visuals.”
    • “A very beautiful, poetic game with very intuitive gameplay, stunning visuals, and amazing sound design.”
    • “The gameplay stays minimal by design, complementing the game’s emotional rhythm rather than distracting from it.”
    • “Save mechanic is not great, the checkpoint system works but there is no indicator so you are unsure how far back you will go if you quit or crash.”
    • “If you're looking for action or fast-paced gameplay, this isn’t it.”
    • “From time to time, gameplay and story feels disconnected, few of the puzzles are unbalanced but overall this is a very lovely atmosphere.”
  • atmosphere
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, effectively conveying a wordless narrative through music and subtle cues. While some players note occasional disconnections between gameplay and story, as well as minor bugs, the overall experience is characterized by charming details in art and sound design, creating a gentle and immersive environment.

    • “A wordless narrative told through atmosphere, music, and subtle emotional cues, it masterfully captures the fragile bond between a lost soul and a loyal companion.”
    • “You don’t need words—the game tells its story through music and atmosphere.”
    • “Koira delivers a gentle, focused experience built around emotion, atmosphere, and a growing bond between you and a loyal companion.”
    • “So that leaves you with a cute, but stressful, trial-and-error atmosphere-breaking game that's buggy.”
    • “Amazingly cute game - love the gameplay and the atmosphere.”
  • grinding
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often detracting from the overall experience. While some appreciate the mix of relaxing puzzles and suspenseful stealth, many prefer a more intense and concise gameplay experience over prolonged grinding. Additionally, technical issues like crashes can further frustrate players during these tedious sections.

    • “It made the attempt to 100% even slower and more tedious.”
    • “You will find a polarizing way of storytelling where relaxing puzzles are mixed with suspenseful (and to be honest - often tedious) stealth.”
    • “But to be honest, I prefer an intense, deep, shorter experience over any long-dreaded grinding game any day.”
  • stability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is mixed, with some users reporting smooth performance on certain platforms, while others highlight persistent bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay. Additionally, the lack of timely updates to address these issues has contributed to a frustrating experience for some players.

    • “Runs great on deck!”
    • “The game maintains a smooth performance without any crashes.”
    • “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is, even during intense moments.”
    • “And ultimately also the quantity of updates when there are a few bugs/glitches still left but no updates in many months (as of writing this review).”
    • “On top of all that, it appears quite buggy.”
    • “So that leaves you with a cute, but stressful, trial-and-error atmosphere-breaking game that's buggy.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers praise the game's character development for its charming animations and appealing character design, highlighting the visual appeal as a significant strength.

    • “The character development is incredibly rich, with each character having a unique backstory that unfolds beautifully throughout the game.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve based on player choices, making every decision feel impactful and meaningful.”
    • “The depth of the characters is impressive; their growth and relationships are portrayed in a way that truly resonates with players.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is visually appealing but suffers from significant optimization issues, as players report high GPU usage and power consumption leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering, even with v-sync enabled.

    • “This game is cute and I love it; however, it seems to be very unoptimized. It uses 98% of a 5090, and the GPU is pulling 380 watts, yet I still experience frame drops.”
    • “This game is cute and I love it; however, it seems to be very unoptimized. It uses 98% of a 5090, and the GPU is pulling 380 watts, yet I still get frame drops.”
    • “I did experience quite a lot of frame drops and stuttering during my playthrough, which was noticeable even with V-Sync enabled.”
  • replayability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers limited replayability, as players may find little incentive to revisit the story after their initial experience, aside from reliving emotional moments or sharing it with new players.

    • “Limited replayability: once you've experienced the story, there’s not much reason to revisit aside from reliving the emotions or showing it to someone new.”
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Frequently Asked Questions

Koira is a casual action adventure game.

Koira is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS, Steam Deck and others.

Koira was released on April 1, 2025.

Koira was developed by Studio Tolima.

Koira has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Koira is a single player game.

Similar games include LUNA The Shadow Dust, Planet of Lana, The Last Campfire, Neva, GRIS and others.