Paquerette Down the Bunburrows
- August 2, 2023
- Bunstack
- 15h median play time
Get on Steam"Pâquerette Down the Bunburrows" is a pathfinding-based puzzle game where you must capture cute bunnies that flee through tunnels. With 5 distinct bunburrows and various tools like traps and pickaxes, use the bunnies' predictable behaviors to outsmart them. Engage with the story by interacting with other characters, like the sometimes mean Ophéline.
Mac OS
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game features clever puzzle design that starts simple but quickly escalates in complexity, providing a satisfying challenge.
- The charming art style and humorous dialogue enhance the overall experience, making it enjoyable and engaging.
- There is a wealth of content and secrets to discover, encouraging exploration and experimentation with the game's mechanics.
- The late-game puzzles can become frustratingly difficult, with some solutions feeling overly obscure or reliant on trial and error.
- Certain mechanics are not well explained, leading to confusion and potential dead ends in puzzle-solving.
- The presence of red herrings in puzzles can detract from the overall experience, making it feel tedious at times.
- gameplay127 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simple mechanics that gradually evolve into complex puzzles, encouraging exploration and experimentation. Players appreciate the game's ability to teach mechanics organically, leading to satisfying "aha" moments as they uncover hidden interactions and secrets. While some mechanics may be poorly explained, the overall design fosters a rewarding experience filled with depth and replayability.
“The whole game is amazing at teaching you mechanics, even without tutorials for every single interaction, and the overarching meta-puzzles are amazing as well.”
“Cute puzzle game that starts simple and gets mind-boggling real fast, where the game teaches you about mechanics by letting you explore them.”
“The gameplay mechanics start simple, and a few other mechanics get introduced throughout the game, including a couple 'secret' mechanics which are a lot of fun.”
“The only criticism I can give it is that it's possible to completely miss a single late-game mechanic which will make accessing exactly one room impossible.”
“I was unable to discover certain mechanics which the game doesn't teach, and those are only required for a single capture.”
“Inconsistent and poorly explained puzzle mechanics combined with grating music.”
- music36 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its charm and quality, enhancing the overall experience with a catchy and atmospheric soundtrack. However, some players noted that the limited number of tracks can become repetitive and grating during extended play sessions. Overall, the dynamic music system and engaging compositions contribute positively to the game's appeal, making it a delightful accompaniment to the gameplay.
“The music and graphics are also wonderful.”
“The game also has a neat dynamic music system that plays the full, louder music when you are exploring or moving around, and then the music quiets down a bit when you spend enough time in a puzzle, presumably to help you focus.”
“The soundtrack is perfect for this kind of game, uplifting and atmospheric without being overbearing.”
“While I know that the development team for this game is small, I still would have liked to have seen maybe two possible tracks per bunburrow and having the music that loops in the bunburrows be a bit longer as well so as to not become as grating as it eventually does in a long play session.”
“The music can become grating over longer play sessions.”
“Inconsistent and poorly explained puzzle mechanics combined with grating music.”
- humor24 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and cleverness, featuring funny dialogue and whimsical characters that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the balance of cute aesthetics with challenging puzzles, complemented by witty writing and humorous references throughout. The lighthearted tone and unexpected comedic elements contribute to a delightful atmosphere, making it an enjoyable and engaging puzzle game.
“Awesome game with good puzzles and great humor!”
“The concept is super fun, the art style is very cute, and the characters are really funny.”
“The dialogue from Pâquerette and Ophéline is silly and funny, and the achievement names are mostly jokes and references.”
- graphics22 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming, nostalgic 8-bit pixel art style that evokes memories of classic Game Boy titles, complemented by a cute aesthetic and humorous character designs. While some users find the visuals to be aggressively ugly at times, the overall presentation is praised for enhancing the gameplay experience, with many noting that the graphics and music work together to create a delightful atmosphere that belies the game's complex puzzles. Overall, the combination of adorable visuals and engaging soundtracks makes it a standout title for fans of both puzzles and retro aesthetics.
“The graphics for this game bring back a lot of nostalgia and are perfect for this type of game and are really pleasing to the eye.”
“All this presented in beautiful Commodore-style blocky graphics and a top-tier chiptune soundtrack by Herbie Puppy.”
“I forgot to mention how much I enjoy the 2D pixel visuals, which remind me of the Game Boy games I used to play as a kid, and the soundtracks are very tasteful!”
“Pretty aggressively ugly 8-bit pixel graphics, but the puzzlin' is worth the eye-bleeding palette.”
“It is a shame that at a surface glance, the 'cutesy' aesthetic and initial levels deceptively misrepresent the layers of depth (pun unintended) to the game, as you traverse down into the bunburrows.”
“Despite the cute aesthetic, this one takes a lot of brain power.”
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized by charm and intrigue, enhanced by its artistic visuals and soundtrack, which create an engaging atmosphere. However, as a puzzle-focused game, the narrative is not the primary focus, and some players may find the lack of a deep story to be a minor issue. Overall, the experience is enjoyable, with players appreciating the quest-like elements despite the minimal storytelling.
“It's storytelling, it's intrigue, it's learning and communicating through puzzles, it's art.”
“Also the characters and the story (and obviously the buns) are charming; the soundtrack and visual design are on point and encourage you to spend hours in front of your screen to capture those buns.”
“But since this is a puzzle game with a focus on puzzles and not story, I don't think this is a deal-breaker.”
“☐ no story”
“Do not let its cute appearance make you think that this game will hold your hand - it will set you on an ever-deepening quest to catch every bun you can, and I, for one, do not regret a second of it.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, characterized by great puzzle design and a surprisingly complex environment that enhances the overall experience. The uplifting soundtrack complements the gameplay, creating an engaging ambiance that keeps players immersed, even during challenging moments.
“Amazing atmosphere leaves nothing to be desired.”
“The soundtrack is perfect for this kind of game, uplifting and atmospheric without being overbearing.”
“Personally, I enjoy puzzle games, but I'm not very good at them, and a great soundtrack can really help keep you in the game when you're stuck, because even trying the same things over and over again can feel satisfying in a good atmosphere.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be extensive, often requiring significant time investment, especially for 100% completion. However, the majority of the gameplay is enjoyable, with meta and non-linear elements that help mitigate the tedium of collecting items, making the experience feel less burdensome overall.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“As long as you aren't going for that last 1% for 100% completion (the last couple of baby bunnies are just tedious to get), 99% of the game is just amazing and overall one of the best puzzle games with meta elements you can buy on the market right now.”
“Collecting babies somehow does not feel tedious even though there are so many opportunities to stack buns.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its hidden secrets and collectibles, encouraging players to revisit levels for new experiences. A unique mechanic enhances this aspect, making each stage engaging and prompting players to experiment, particularly in the later stages. Overall, it stands out as a puzzle game that invites repeated playthroughs.
“Absolute must play if you are into 'Baba Is You' - there are secrets and collectibles in this game that really enhance the replayability. This is one of the few puzzle games that I think should be ported to mobile so that we can sit on a puzzle and whip out the phone the moment we have an idea!”
“One of the best parts of the game is how a certain mechanic, which I will not spoil because the 'wow!!' moment is too good, makes every single stage insanely replayable. By the endgame, you are constantly releasing all the rabbits you've caught to make use of this mechanic as much as possible.”
“The game lacks significant replayability; once you've solved the puzzles, there's little incentive to return.”
“While the initial experience is enjoyable, the limited variety in puzzles makes replaying feel tedious.”
“After completing the game, I found that there wasn't much left to explore or discover, which really diminishes its replay value.”
