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Paper Beast

Paper Beast Game Cover
95%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
grinding, replayability
96% User Score Based on 293 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

PCPlayStation VROculus QuestOculus RiftPlaystation 5Playstation 4Virtual RealityWindowsPlayStation
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Paper Beast Game Cover

About

Paper Beast is a single player open world simulation game. It was developed by Pixel Reef and was released on October 20, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

From the creative mind of renowned game designer Eric Chahi (Another World, Heart of Darkness, From Dust) comes Paper Beast, a playful exploration game of big data and vibrant wildlife. Paper Beast will see player-explorers discover an ecosystem born out of lost code and forgotten algorithms. They will interact with ever-evolving environments and will form delicate bonds with emotionally stirring…

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
+13
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96%
Audience ScoreBased on 293 reviews
story15 positive mentions
grinding5 negative mentions
  • Stunning visuals and immersive environments that create a sense of wonder and emotional connection with the creatures.
  • Unique gameplay that combines exploration, puzzle-solving, and interaction with a beautifully crafted ecosystem.
  • A memorable and artistic experience that feels more like a journey than a traditional game, with a strong emphasis on observation and creativity.
  • Frustrating controls and occasional unclear objectives can lead to confusion and a feeling of being stuck.
  • The game is relatively short, lasting around 3-4 hours, which may leave some players wanting more content.
  • Some players may find the lack of explicit guidance or hand-holding to be a drawback, making certain puzzles feel overly obtuse.
  • story
    63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Paper Beast" is described as a short yet engaging experience that combines environmental storytelling with abstract visuals, allowing players to immerse themselves in a unique ecosystem. While some players found the narrative intriguing and beautifully executed, others felt it lacked depth and clarity, leaving them wanting more. The game excels in its visual and atmospheric presentation, making it a memorable VR experience, despite its brevity and occasional narrative confusion.

    • “There's a lot of storytelling that really transcends language and culture barriers, and I think it can be widely appreciated by anyone with a VR setup.”
    • “I really enjoyed this game and I wish other VR games shared such an interesting and astonishingly beautiful setting, not to mention the superb approach to storytelling without voice or text.”
    • “The story mode is fantastic, a collection of interactive set pieces that have some of the most strange and wonderful visual art I have experienced in VR.”
    • “It looks like it's building up to some plot at the beginning but then never mentions it again.”
    • “My impression was that the developer started with an interesting, weird idea, didn't know how the 'story' would develop, thought they would figure it out on the way, but never did.”
    • “Paper Beast is an interesting game in that it isn't trying to tell a proper story, as much as it's simply relaying an idea that doesn't really start to show up until the last third of the game.”
  • graphics
    39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received high praise for their unique art style, beautiful aesthetics, and immersive environments, often described as a blend of abstract and simplistic visuals that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the attention to detail in the animation of creatures and the effective use of sound design, which together create a captivating atmosphere. While some noted a graphical scrubbiness in certain areas, the overall impression is that the visuals are stunning and contribute significantly to the game's emotional impact and gameplay experience.

    • “The visuals and sound make this a piece of art!”
    • “The graphics are really beautiful, and if you have a beefy PC, cranking up the settings and resolution makes it all the more breathtaking.”
    • “Absolutely incredible interaction with the game world, with a fantastic music score and visuals to match.”
    • “The graphics are kept pretty simple on purpose because of the sandbox character and geotransforming the engine does.”
    • “You do immediately notice a graphical scrubbiness to the environments, but this is soon forgiven as you realize that each puzzle zone involves some form of environmental manipulation.”
    • “This game starts super strong, but slows down into tedium when the player really needs a push of new exciting visuals and mechanics to want to push forward.”
  • gameplay
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized by its unique blend of physics-based puzzles and abstract storytelling, particularly enhanced in VR. Players navigate through a series of visually stunning environments, solving puzzles that introduce new mechanics in each level, though some may find the experience occasionally tedious or janky. Overall, it offers a creative and engaging experience, making it a solid choice for fans of artistic and innovative gameplay.

    • “It is the unique gameplay that comes with it, especially in VR.”
    • “Every puzzle has its own unique mechanic, so you always need to find a new way to move through the chapters.”
    • “While other 'artsy' games may fail to offer an entertaining or unique gameplay experience, this balances its artistic vision and presentation with very engaging design.”
    • “The main gameplay loop through the levels basically consists of moving creatures and/or objects from one area to another.”
    • “This game starts super strong, but slows down into tedium when the player really needs a push of new exciting visuals and mechanics to want to push forward.”
    • “There's some sort of interesting artistic storytelling aspect to it that might appeal to some, but I was bored out of my mind waiting for the gameplay to get going.”
  • music
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received high praise for its emotional depth and immersive quality, enhancing the overall atmosphere alongside stunning visuals. While some users found the Japanese music choice unconventional, it contributed to a unique experience that felt revolutionary, particularly in a VR context. However, frustrations arose from technical issues related to loading, which detracted from the enjoyment of the soundtrack.

    • “Somehow it even manages to instill a sense of actual awe, without any fancy tech, mostly through its art style, sound design - that deserves praise on its own - and music.”
    • “It really takes you on an emotional roller coaster with some really nice immersive environments, great sound effects & amazing musical soundtrack.”
    • “On top of all of that, the soundtrack provides the emotions I want to feel through each level.”
    • “I was initially excited to play Paper Beasts, but after sitting in the loading screen with the 'swirlybeats music' popup (which if I wanted to play something like that I have Beat Saber) without any indication of anything happening for 45 minutes, I found out that the game will not load unless you play that stupid swirlybeats game. There's no indication that playing the music game is a requirement to load Paper Beasts, so I have decided to refund this game.”
    • “The Japanese music was an odd choice for the game, but it was cool.”
    • “More of a 4-hour art musical... something.”
  • atmosphere
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and unique qualities, enhanced by great music and visuals that evoke genuine emotions. Players appreciate the intriguing setting and the ability to connect with the creatures, making the experience feel both beautiful and melancholic. While some find the gameplay dull, the overall consensus is that the game's atmospheric elements make it a worthwhile experience.

    • “The atmosphere and passive story this game provides truly drives with intrigue.”
    • “The atmosphere of the final chapter was beautiful and melancholy to start with, and then I was so damn sad that the game was over...”
    • “It's a quirky, slow-paced puzzle game with fantastic atmosphere and somehow evokes in me genuine feelings for the creatures in the game.”
    • “The atmosphere and passive story this game provides truly drives intrigue.”
    • “It's still worth checking out simply for the atmosphere and setting this game provides.”
    • “The game does a very good job at getting you to care for some of the creatures, and there were a few points that were briefly upsetting, which says a lot about the atmosphere that this game has.”
  • emotional
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players consistently highlight the game's profound emotional impact, describing it as an immersive experience that evokes strong feelings, including tears and deep connections with characters. The combination of stunning visuals, a captivating soundtrack, and meaningful storytelling creates a unique emotional journey that resonates with players, making it a memorable and touching experience.

    • “It really takes you on an emotional roller coaster with some really nice immersive environments, great sound effects, and an amazing musical soundtrack.”
    • “It lasted just long enough; it was unexpectedly emotional; the puzzle mechanics were interesting; the world felt meaningful; the ending brought me to silence.”
    • “I developed emotional connections with each and every paper beast, every one unique in its own way.”
  • grinding
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews on grinding highlight a divide in player experience; while some find the process slow and tedious, particularly with certain mechanics and puzzles, others appreciate the challenge and feel it requires patience rather than frustration. Overall, the perception of grinding varies significantly, with many players expressing dissatisfaction with its tediousness.

    • “Everything is slow and tedious.”
    • “Puzzles are pretty good, although there were times I knew what the solution was and it was tedious to implement.”
    • “They could also lose patience with some tedious mechanics and suspicious tests of logic.”
  • replayability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game offers a mix of opinions on replayability; while some players appreciate the fun of god mode and unlockables that enhance the experience, others feel that the short campaign limits long-term engagement. Despite this, many still find enough enjoyable elements to warrant multiple playthroughs.

    • “The god mode is also quite fun to mess around in, and with unlockables from the main story for the god mode, it gives replay value to an already fun campaign.”
    • “Tons of replayability!”
    • “The story seemed short, but the replayability lasts, and I would definitely buy this game.”
    • “I can't see much replay value, but definitely some wow moments!”
    • “Short campaign, not much to do after the campaign, little replayability overall.”
  • optimization
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is highly optimized, providing smooth performance across various scales, from human to mountain size. Users report flawless performance, particularly on high-end systems, and praise the seamless integration of visuals, gameplay, and narrative, creating an immersive experience. Overall, the optimization contributes significantly to the game's artistic and experiential quality.

    • “The world is quite small, but it's very well optimized and allows smooth scaling from human to mountain size perspective.”
    • “Performance was great, pretty much flawless, although I do have a somewhat high-end system.”
    • “In short, performance, visuals, and story content are amazing.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the humor in the game to be delightful, often highlighting the unique personalities of the creatures and the comedic value of unexpected bugs, such as rag-doll physics. Many report that these quirks enhance the overall experience, making for memorable and laugh-inducing moments.

    • “Played this while on shrooms, spent 40 minutes laughing at a bug.”
    • “Each creature in the game has its own personality and sense of humor.”
    • “Occasional bugs in the AI where they ragdoll (though this is expected and a bit hilarious, to be perfectly honest).”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers express frustration with the monetization approach in the game, particularly criticizing misleading pop-ups that resemble advertisements but serve as game introductions instead. This confusion detracts from the overall experience and clarity of the game's monetization strategy.

    • “The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without constantly being bombarded by ads.”
    • “I can't believe how many in-game purchases are pushed on players; it really detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “The game is fun, but the constant prompts to spend money ruin the immersion and make it feel more like a cash grab.”
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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Paper Beast is a open world simulation game.

Paper Beast is available on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Virtual Reality and others.

Paper Beast was released on October 20, 2020.

Paper Beast was developed by Pixel Reef.

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

Paper Beast is a single player game.

Similar games include Somerville, Jusant, RiME, Hob, Genesis Noir and others.