Papetura
- May 6, 2021
- Petums
- 2h median play time
An absolutely amazing feat of crafted creativity, and accompanied by a stunning and complimentary score. For those looking for a quirky and methodical movie-length point & click adventure, Papetura is definitely one for the wishlist!
"Papetura is a handcrafted, single-player kids' platformer game with a beautiful story, marvelous gameplay, delightful graphics, and soundtrack. Explore a paper world full of puzzles and shadowy creatures while following the journey of Pape, a paper creature, and Tura, a magical being. Immerse yourself in this unique 2-hour point-and-click adventure with a paper-style aesthetic and storytelling through animation and music by Floex."
Reviews
- Papetura features stunning handcrafted visuals made entirely from paper, showcasing incredible artistry and attention to detail.
- The game has a charming and heartwarming story, complemented by a beautiful soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Despite its short length, the game offers a relaxing and enjoyable gameplay experience with simple yet engaging puzzles.
- The game is very short, typically taking around 1.5 to 2 hours to complete, which may leave some players wanting more content.
- Puzzles can be overly simplistic and not particularly challenging, leading to a lack of depth in gameplay.
- Character movement is slow, which can make navigation feel tedious and detract from the overall pacing of the game.
- music139 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game, composed by the renowned floex, is widely praised for its atmospheric and calming qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a blend of piano, strings, and synth. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to complement the stunning visuals and unique art style, creating a memorable and immersive environment. While the gameplay may be simple, the combination of beautiful music and handcrafted aesthetics makes it a worthwhile experience for fans of artsy games.
“The music by Floex is fantastic!”
“The game's soundtrack was composed by Floex, who almost always works with Amanita, and his compositions utilizing strings, piano, and some soothing synth bring the atmosphere to life.”
“Beautifully crafted and sweet piece of art mixed together with the astonishing soundtrack by Floex.”
“The gameplay and the music/sound effects are boring and the characters aren't likable.”
“All of the music in this game was immediately copyright struck in any video that I tried to upload or stream... so if you plan on making a YouTube or Twitch video of this game... just be aware of that.”
“I hate to say this, but if you're a fan of floex's music you might be better off just buying the soundtrack.”
- graphics128 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning, handcrafted aesthetic, utilizing paper and unique artistic styles that create a visually immersive experience. Many players describe the visuals as breathtaking and a significant draw to the game, often likening it to a piece of art rather than a traditional video game. However, some critiques mention that while the graphics are exceptional, the gameplay does not always match their quality, and the overall experience can feel short and lacking in depth.
“The visuals are breathtaking in both the choice of theme and dynamic lighting presented.”
“The art style is absolutely stunning, especially when it is accompanied by a lovely soundtrack.”
“Absolutely amazing work on the visuals and art direction, like nothing I've seen before.”
“Sadly, the game doesn't have much going on besides the art style, which combined with the extremely short length leaves it feeling a little bit like a glorified demo.”
“I purchased the game because of the art style, but I can't recommend the game to anyone.”
“I respect all the handcraft and artwork, but the game was boring; the puzzles were not challenging.”
- story127 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is often described as cute, touching, and visually stunning, with many players appreciating its emotional depth despite its brevity and minimal dialogue. While some found the narrative engaging and heartwarming, others felt it lacked substance and could benefit from further development. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a charming complement to the game's beautiful art and music, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of visual storytelling.
“A beautifully made game with a touching story.”
“The visuals were stunning, the music was amazing, and the story was also very deep and enjoyable.”
“Despite being only 2.5 hours long, 'Papetura' manages to unfold a complete story taking place in a wholesome unique world.”
“Most puzzles lack imagination or logic and the story is almost non-existent.”
“The interesting narrative premise/twist (that the bad guy has fire in a world of paper!) isn't really explored in the art, story, or puzzles, which was surprising and disappointing.”
“The story is simply present and is all style over substance, with no sense to this paper world.”
- gameplay65 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Papetura" is generally described as short, simplistic, and lacking in innovation, with most players noting it lasts around 1-2 hours. While the game features charming visuals and a unique art style, the mechanics are often seen as repetitive and unengaging, with many reviewers suggesting that the experience leans more towards an interactive art piece than a compelling game. Despite some enjoyable elements, such as a hint system and a few original mechanics, the overall consensus is that the gameplay does not match the high quality of its aesthetic presentation.
“Even so, the gameplay is interesting, cute, and solid, and it creates a very believable world to navigate.”
“Some nice gameplay mechanics, cool animations, and great music complete a surreal experience.”
“Gameplay is pretty simple, but there is an elegant hint system that, I admit, I did use a couple of times.”
“In terms of gameplay, though, Papetura is overwhelmingly mediocre, if not kind of bad.”
“All in all, from just a gameplay perspective alone, this game isn’t anything to write home about; same-y puzzles, overly simplistic and short, standing at one or two hours of total gameplay, mostly spent looking at your character slowly moving from one end of the screen to another.”
“As pretty as it is, the gameplay is below mediocre.”
- atmosphere33 mentions
- 79 % positive mentions
- 12 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in Papetura is widely praised for its vibrant, handcrafted visuals and immersive soundtrack, which together create a unique and enchanting experience. Reviewers highlight the game's warm lighting, charming characters, and detailed sound design, contributing to a surreal yet familiar ambiance reminiscent of classic adventure games. While some find the puzzles frustrating, the overall atmosphere is described as beautiful, calming, and filled with memorable details.
“The atmosphere is vibrant and the expressions are powerful.”
“There is clearly a lot of love and hard work that went into creating Papetura, and there are elements, such as the stunningly hand-crafted appearance, atmospheric sound design, and charming protagonist that are simply outstanding.”
“The game's soundtrack was composed by Floex, who almost always works with Amanita, and man, do his compositions utilizing strings, piano, and some soothing synth bring the atmosphere to life.”
“It's just a surreal situation full of biblical types of symbolism that just tries to create an eerie, mysterious atmosphere without having anything to say.”
“The atmosphere is simultaneously alien and familiar; the perfect mixture to induce wonder.”
“Ambient sounds reminiscent of soft techno/trance take the overall atmosphere up, up, up.”
- emotional22 mentions
- 95 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its touching and heartwarming story, which resonates deeply with players, often evoking feelings of nostalgia and reflection. Despite its short playtime, the game effectively develops unique characters and delivers a beautiful narrative that encourages letting go and finding positivity. Overall, it is described as a visually stunning experience that combines wholesome moments with a hint of sadness, making it a memorable journey for players.
“A beautifully made game with a touching story.”
“I am kinda going through stuff right now, but the way the game ended just made me feel... I don't know, like it was okay to let go of some things I really need to let go of and try to find the light in things - which is similar to this game.”
“Despite being only 2.5 hours long, 'papetura' manages to unfold a complete story taking place in a wholesome unique world.”
“The cutest game with the most boring storyline.”
- replayability11 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 55 % negative mentions
The game is generally considered to have low replayability, with most users noting its short duration of about 90 minutes and the lack of additional content or achievements to encourage multiple playthroughs. While the visuals and story are appreciated, players recommend waiting for a sale due to the limited replay value.
“I say this as someone who does prefer longer, drawn-out games more than short story visual experiences; there really isn't a lot of replay value, so I would recommend this game when it's on sale rather than at its retail price.”
“While I overall really liked it, it should be noted that it is quite short and doesn't have much replay value, other than just seeing the visuals again.”
“Sadly, it's a beautiful and short experience, about 90 minutes with no replay value, but otherwise a very wholesome adventure game - on that note, I think the game missed a few opportunities to have optional achievements.”
“Though it doesn’t have any replayable value as you’ll get 100% of the achievements in a single playthrough.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and slow, often describing it as unfun and repetitive. While the visuals and sound design are praised, the gameplay is criticized for involving monotonous tasks and a lack of engaging challenges, leading to a frustrating experience.
“Very tedious.”
“Beautiful art but the gameplay is incredibly unfun and tedious.”
“Vast majority of the 'puzzles' in the game are more or less tedious tasks, some involving repeating the same action over and over again, some just waiting a whole lot while nothing is happening.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its humor, featuring funny creature sounds and endearing moments that elicit genuine laughter. Players appreciate the clever puzzle solutions and the charming art, which, combined with a delightful soundtrack, enhance the overall lighthearted experience. The blend of tenderness and humor creates a memorable and enjoyable atmosphere throughout the gameplay.
“The art is stunning, the story is endearing, the puzzles are fun and funny; I laughed out loud at the solutions for a couple.”
“The game is fun, funny, and cute, and the accompanying soundtrack by Floex is the cherry on top of this masterpiece.”
“There were parts of the game that made me laugh out loud from the effects and characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of playing.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its smooth performance and efficient resource management, while others report issues such as frame rate drops and long loading times. Overall, the game's performance varies significantly across different hardware configurations, leading to a divided player experience.
“The optimization in this game is outstanding, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
“I was impressed by how well the game runs; the developers clearly put a lot of effort into optimizing performance.”
“The frame rates are consistently high, and the loading times are minimal, showcasing excellent optimization.”
“The game runs poorly on even high-end systems, making it frustrating to play.”
“I experienced frequent frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the immersion.”
“The optimization is so bad that loading times are unacceptably long, even for simple tasks.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is engaging, with fun designs that endear players to the characters, fostering a sense of attachment during the brief gameplay experience.
“Character designs are very fun, and you may even learn to love some of these critters during your short romp through this paper world.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game on the Mac version has been criticized due to frequent box glitches, indicating a need for improvements in this area.
“My only issue is that the Mac version of the game has a lot of box glitches.”
Critic Reviews
Papetura Review
An absolutely amazing feat of crafted creativity, and accompanied by a stunning and complimentary score. For those looking for a quirky and methodical movie-length point & click adventure, Papetura is definitely one for the wishlist!
80%Papetura Review
Papetura is a charming but very brief puzzle adventure, and one that will most strongly appeal to fans of unique art and abstract worlds.
73%Papetura review
Papetura is short and undemanding, and with controls that have made the leap well to the Switch from its point and click Steam origins.
70%