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"Paperbark is a single-player, kid-friendly simulation game with an interesting plot, amazing graphics, and beautiful music. As a sleepy wombat looking for a new home after a bushfire, you'll explore a vibrant, emotionally engaging Australian landscape with watercolor visuals and an original soundtrack." This game has been recognized with awards such as the 'First Mention Winner' in BolognaRagazzi Cross Media Award, 2020, and the 'Grand Prize' in Digital Ehon Award.

Paperbark screenshot
Paperbark screenshot
Paperbark screenshot
Paperbark screenshot
Paperbark screenshot
Paperbark screenshot
Paperbark screenshot
Paperbark screenshot
Paperbark screenshot
Paperbark screenshot
Paperbark screenshot
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88%
Audience ScoreBased on 476 reviews
story86 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions

  • Beautiful watercolor art style and soothing soundtrack create a relaxing atmosphere.
  • The game features an adorable wombat protagonist and a charming, simple story that is enjoyable for both children and adults.
  • Collectibles and achievements add replayability, making it fun to explore the Australian bush and discover hidden insects and plants.
  • The game is very short, taking only 20-40 minutes to complete the main story, which may not justify the price for some players.
  • Controls can be clunky and frustrating, with issues like the wombat getting stuck or automatically interacting with objects, hindering exploration.
  • The gameplay is minimal and linear, which may leave players wanting more depth and interactivity.
  • story
    202 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of *Paperbark* is a charming, short narrative centered around a wombat's journey through the Australian bush, presented in a visually stunning, watercolor style reminiscent of a children's storybook. While the gameplay is minimal and the story is simple, it effectively conveys themes of nature and survival, making it a heartwarming experience for players, particularly those who appreciate animal stories. Overall, the game is more of an interactive story than a traditional game, appealing to those looking for a relaxing and visually beautiful storytelling experience.

    • “Paperbark is a perfect narration and setting of a short and cute storytelling of a day in the life of a wombat in the outback of Australia with a very beautiful watercolor painted world.”
    • “The story is heartwarming and it is such a beautiful, short story to watch.”
    • “Gorgeous artwork and a moving, heartwarming story.”
    • “The story only consists of 2 sentences for every chapter; the voice is soporific. I'm sorry to say that, but the voice is so flat that you just bless the option to cut it.”
    • “Paperbark is a cute little story for a children's book, but it didn't really transfer well to a game.”
    • “It's cute, it's peaceful, but it is not a game, not even an interactive story.”
  • graphics
    140 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful watercolor art style, which effectively captures the charm of Australian wildlife and creates a serene atmosphere. While the visuals are described as stunning and consistent throughout, some players experienced performance issues and graphical glitches. Overall, the art and sound design contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a delightful experience for those who appreciate artistic aesthetics.

    • “Paperbark is such a great little game with a simply gorgeous and soft art style.”
    • “Probably the standout feature here is the watercolor art style, which is genuinely beautiful and effectively showcases some of the diversity of Australian wildlife; the developer's passion for this natural world is clear to see.”
    • “The beauty of the game lies in the artwork, which looks like the whole environment is made from water colored pastels.”
    • “It ran kind of bad on my PC; I don't know why. I've managed to play much bigger, graphic-heavy games without issues, but this ran quite poorly.”
    • “- in chapter 1 there were some graphical glitches.”
    • “It tries to charm you with art style and visuals, but sadly the entire substance, form, and gameplay of this 40-minute long 'game' is as dry and dull as wombat lifestyle.”
  • gameplay
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized as minimal and linear, primarily functioning as a walking simulator where players control a wombat to explore the environment and collect items. While the charming visuals and sound design are praised, many reviewers note that the gameplay lacks depth and challenge, often feeling clumsy and disconnected from the overall experience. Overall, it serves as a relaxing escape rather than a robust gaming experience, appealing mainly to those who appreciate its cute story and art style.

    • “Highly recommend picking up the game for its intuitive gameplay and marvelous storytelling.”
    • “The cute art style and paint mechanic make for a charming game, and the sounds of the Australian bush are really well done.”
    • “As for the gameplay itself, the animations are adorable, the sounds and soundtrack are lovely and relaxing, the artwork is absolutely gorgeous (watercolor-like)... all in all, it was a heartwarming experience.”
    • “Unfortunately, the gameplay is clumsy.”
    • “It tries to charm you with art style and visuals, but sadly the entire substance, form, and gameplay of this 40-minute long 'game' is as dry and dull as a wombat's lifestyle.”
    • “I had played tons of walking simulators and cheap flash and mobile games about animals with more gameplay and story depth than this so-called 'video game'.”
  • music
    76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience with subtle soundscapes that fit each environment. Many players appreciate the serene soundtrack, which includes soft vocals and effectively conveys a range of emotions throughout the gameplay. Overall, the combination of beautiful art and relaxing music creates a delightful and immersive experience, although some find the music less memorable.

    • “The music fits each environment, and when the game nears its climax, you absolutely feel a sense of urgency required.”
    • “The art style is gorgeous, the music is serene, and Georgia Maq's narration is perfect, along with her occasional voice in the music.”
    • “The music and sound effects are really relaxing and fit every different scenario.”
    • “The music's okay, if nothing memorable, but only the main path is permanently visible, so if you want to look around and see what hides behind all the whiteness, you'll have to 'paint' areas with the mouse, only for them to turn back to white almost immediately.”
    • “Well this is just plain enjoyable; a little walking simulator crossed with hidden object game (look for all the hidden animals) with decent music, passable narration, and a pertinent (well, sort of) story-line.”
    • “The soundtrack is subtle and contains some humming in a soft, bright feminine voice which I am a sucker for, so I might be a bit biased there, but I think it's great.”
  • emotional
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartwarming and wholesome storytelling, centered around an adorable wombat navigating life's challenges. Players appreciate the beautiful artwork and calming atmosphere, which create a touching experience that feels more like an interactive storybook than a traditional game. While the game is short and simple, it effectively evokes strong emotions and offers a relaxing escape into nature.

    • “Seriously, enjoy the calm storytelling, the realistic and heartwarming story of this adorable wombat just vibing through the bush and dealing with what life throws at them, and you won't regret however much you paid for the game.”
    • “This story is quite short, yet during more than just one moment I ended up getting emotional and hoping that everything I did would make things okay for the little marsupial.”
    • “I would like to thank the developers for creating such a touching, artistically beautiful story and sharing it with us.”
  • atmosphere
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautiful watercolor graphics, calming sound effects, and charming design, creating a serene and enchanting experience. While the art style and minimalistic soundtrack contribute positively to the ambiance, some players feel that certain gameplay elements, like collectibles, detract from the overall atmosphere. Overall, it is described as a cute and atmospheric casual game, ideal for relaxation.

    • “It's beautiful to look at and made with atmosphere, charm, and love.”
    • “The watercolor graphics style looks beautiful, and the minimalistic sound effects and music create a very calming atmosphere.”
    • “I recommend [i][b]paperbark[/b][/i] for its beauty and particular atmosphere, as well as the well-being it can provide, perfect before bedtime.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly when attempting to achieve 100% completion. The presence of non-obvious one-way gates and obstructive fog effects complicates exploration, leading some to suggest that pursuing collectibles may not be worth the effort.

    • “I wanted to 100% it and it's kind of tedious, and the fog/whiteout around your character is really annoying.”
    • “There's some achievements for collectibles, but there's also a bunch of non-obvious one-way gates that make fully exploring the levels tedious, so I'd advise not to bother with them at all.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
  • stability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game offers a lovely experience, but users have reported encountering a few frustrating glitches and graphical issues, particularly in chapter 1. While some players have managed to avoid significant bugs, others note that the game's stability can be inconsistent.

    • “In chapter 1, there were some graphical glitches.”
    • “Personally, I'm not interested in doing so because I think it might make the game more frustrating than anything, and other reviews mention that it can be a bit buggy, which luckily I managed to avoid.”
    • “It does have a few glitches that can be frustrating.”
  • replayability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers strong replayability through its engaging story, beautiful artwork, and the opportunity to collect various animals and stickers, as well as explore different endings. Active development and a positive cause further enhance the incentive to revisit the game.

    • “The game offers a lot of replayability with its beautiful artwork and engaging story.”
    • “Active developers continuously add new content, enhancing the replayability factor.”
    • “Plus, there's replayability to collect all the animals and 'stickers' as well as the different endings.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the humor in the game particularly enjoyable, noting that many of the achievements are amusing and contribute to the overall comedic experience.

    • “Many of the achievements are funny.”
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2h Median play time
2h Average play time
2-2h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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