Gorogoa is not your typical video game. In fact, we’re having trouble thinking of any other games that feel and work in quite the same way as this one. Created by the one-man team of Jason Roberts, this seven year-long development project uses a beautiful, storybook-like layout to allow players to interact with elements on each page, manipulating them in specific ways to progress the story.
The screen is divided into four equal parts, with each ‘page’ (or image) of the story taking up one of these four squares. Within each image are places for you to interact – sometimes you’ll be zooming in on specific locations, other times you’ll be extracting a single part of the image and placing it down on one of your other available images to create something entirely new. The whole thing acts as one big puzzle; essentially you must use any clues or hints you can spot to work out what needs to be interacted with, and where it needs to be placed in order to allow things to move on.
You see, Gorogoa is telling a story through the images. With gorgeous animation somewhat reminiscent of the 1982 classic, The Snowman, you’ll be watching – and making – a young boy travel from image to image to collect five orbs. In order for the boy to keep walking, you must have certain images aligned in specific ways or solve puzzles within them to kick-start a new element within the story. At times, you’ll notice that by taking the scenery from one image and placing it onto the one where the boy is currently standing (an archway with a staircase for example), you’ll create a new path and the animation will be able to continue.
This is one of those games where description and screenshots alone simply cannot do it justice; the way that the animations all act independently, but can then all be pieced together. is breathtaking at times. The story and overall aesthetic feel almost philosophical – you might not entirely understand exactly what is happening but your mind is free to come to its own conclusions – and you’ll always be left wondering where you are headed. You may find yourself getting stuck at times with no idea how to progress but, very importantly, you’ll want to keep trying thanks to the grip it can have on you.
There are a number of “wow” moments where the combined interaction across multiple images is incredibly clever. We don’t want to spoil too much here but one section where we had to keep moving images around to allow an object to travel through them, zooming in and out within each image as we did so, left us grinning like a child who had just been given the largest ice cream imaginable. This happened again later, too; a particular highlight was an entire section dedicated to cogs that allowed animations to play simultaneously across multiple images. It was brilliant.
Games such as this one often have a tendency to fall flat by allowing the player to just poke and prod every pixel on the screen to find the answers but, whilst this approach could be taken in some situations if you needed to, the originality of the game’s puzzle design can often put a stop to this. Clues are few and far between and sometimes a simple poke just isn’t enough; you’ll have to mix trial and error with logic and creativity to create solutions rather than simply trying literally every possible combination.
You can play through the game either on the TV or in Handheld mode, both of which work fine – the Handheld option allows you to use touchscreen controls but playing on the TV will allow others to join in and work on the puzzles together (through communication – this is a single player game). You’ll also potentially want to play through the entire game in one sitting – depending on how often you get stuck, you’ll likely see the credits shortly after two hours have passed. We were disappointed to see it end so soon but only because we were so transfixed; we could have happily stayed within Gorogoa’s world for several more hours.
Conclusion
The Switch’s eShop is starting to become saturated with bucket loads of high-quality content. This is great in one way, of course, but stumbling across hidden gems within it will get tougher as time goes on. Gorogoa is one such gem; a game quite unlike any other that deserves your attention. It is a little on the short side, but the creativity that has been put into its design, and the effect it will have on you during your time exploring its gorgeous world, is something that you’ll want to experience. If you’re looking for something new to try, this would be an excellent choice.
Comments 49
OK, I'm convinced.
Might have to give this a go? Put it in my watchlist when browsing as it did look unique, glad it got a good review
The game is $4.99 on mobile by the way, same game, same release date.
@Octane I agree about the price point. Even Steam got a day one 20% discount. Looks great but is really, really "short". It's the one word I see appear in every review. I'll buy it when it's heavily discounted. Sure people can compare its price to a cinema ticket but 2 hours for €15 in a game doesn't work for me. I'd owe Nintendo over €3,000 for Breath of the Wild if we were working off that logic.
@Octane it is £4.99 on the App Store. Looks good. How much is it on the switch
Edit. Just checked. Same game. Same gameplay. Over double the price.
Still a good game but prefer playing this on phone
@1UP_MARIO £12 on switch
I am waiting for discount. Seems pretty expensive for the length
@kobashi100 thanks
@SLIGEACH_EIRE @1UP_MARIO Yeah, I've read it's on the short side. I dunno, I think €15 is a bit too much for a short game that would otherwise be a €5 mobile game. I too am going to wait for a price drop, or maybe I'll just get the mobile version instead...
Would be useful if reviewers could indicate whether a game is available on another platform at a lower price. Or, at least, whether it’s a Switch exclusive or not.
Appreciate this is a Nintendo site, but I’d rather not pay over double the price for the same game just to get it on Switch when I also own an iPad and iPhone. And other readers have Androids, PS4s and Xbones. Nowadays, I doubt any of us live in a Nintendo exclusive bubble.
The money saved can be used to buy more (Nintendo) games!
Well, I'm sold. It sounds intriguing. It will only get added to my insane backlog when it gets a bit of a discount though. Seems a bit steep for the amount of content. Plus, while I don't play games on my phone or tablet, I can't justify such a mark-up for the Switch version.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE It's a rule that I tend to break, but I always to get games that will cost about $1 per hour. Arbitrary and stupid, I know, but I don't have time to play all the great games I want as it is, so this helps me narrow down the field a bit and encourages me to look for good sales.
@Manjushri Three times as much actually.
Game looked truly beautiful in motion and glad it got a great review and is a unique experience unlike anything before it. Love games that are fresh, try out new things and/or push the boundaries of its genre whether through storytelling or gameplay. Look forward to playing this one and since it’s short I don’t mind it’s going to take up much of my time although like everyone else I would like it to be $5 I’ll pay the $10 to support a good game.
thanks for review, bought it for my ipad
Except it's $15...
What genre for that game ?
Puzzle ?
They must be smoking some pretty powerful stuff if they think people are going to pay that much more just to have it on Switch.
@MaSSiVeRiCaN I echo this. I like to support fresh thinking and can see how much work this has been to create. $10 is fair I’d say.
I love art media games.... really do... But $15 is way too much for an experiment that can not even be properly demo'd.
If he would have let it out under $10, 10 times more would have sold and more money made.... money matters on the consumer side too, developers that do this end up in the bargain bin of the eShop..... something I believe they plan on, so kids don't jump on this, it will be perpetually on sale for the rest of the eShop's life.
To expensive for such a short game, as great as it may be. Might download it someday, when it gets heavily discounted!
If this has been $5, we will be in the presence of the new Kamiko of the eShop. It could be selling like hot bread, and many people will be enjoying this piece of art.
I paid $7 in the mexican eShop for it. A more consistent price, I think.
I bought it and is worth every penny.
Bit too pricey for me as well. Will buy once it's cheaper.
@Anti-Matter My advice is to read the review. It's written there. And the genre can also be found from the game's overview page, as well as on the info box if you're using a computer. But yes, it's a puzzle game.
This has entered my radar, and I've been watching this for a while. Glad it reviewed well. With so many games, I likely won't be getting it at that pricepoint. But a nice sale could convince me otherwise.
The Switch tax has nothing to do with the cartridge, even eShop games are more expensive than other platforms. These developers are ripping off Switch gamers because they think we are the top 1% who can afford a new console therefore we should pay more tax.
Yeah, we're probably approaching the point of saturation and diminishing returns with the Switch's eShop now. That's what happens when you let so many games on these modern systems. It's kinda why I miss the days when a console maybe only saw a few hundred games in its lifetime (certainly less than a thousand in total in most cases), like in the case of the NES, Master System, SNES, Genesis, Saturn and N64 for example, but ultimately still just as many truly brilliant ones to keep you fully entertained and satisfied. There you had a great selection of games but not so many you simply struggled to find the gems and where many developers of great titles simply go overlooked. Usually it was pretty easy to find and pick out the one or two titles that were the must-haves each month--and that was always enough for me to feel very satisfied as a gamer (and to actually have the time to properly play and fully enjoy each game I invested in). We live in very different times.
@Anti-Matter it's a puzzle game. You won't like it because in your words "mobile games are BLAH"
Good game. Wrong price.
It's a shame to see nearly every comment under the review of a quality game talk about its price rather than the game itself but the developer/publisher only has themselves to blame. Of course it was going to be pointed out, especially when it releases at the same time. If it was $9.99 on Switch I think most would be more understanding. Putting a game on a console does likely cost more than putting it on mobile stores after all. But charging 3 times more and not even offering extra content is kind of taking the piss. Sales of the game will likely suffer because of that which again is a shame as it looks like it deserves to be successful.
Added to wishlist and will wait for a sale.
A friend of mine just completed this and told me it was in her top 10 games of the year.... Ugh, I want to pick this up but 2-3 hours for $15 just seems a bit steep for me. I am hoping we see a 33% off sale in the coming weeks so I can take the dive!
@KIRO I’d say for 7 years of your life dedicated to a project what he’s charging isn’t bad . On my App Store I did see it for $5 but again the mobile market is 20-30x larger and people don’t pay on those platforms.
We saw what happens when someone charges $10 there with Mario Run. If it wasn’t Nintendo there’s no way in hell SMR would have sold as much as it did.
Looks fantastic but I'll wait for a sale if it only takes 2 hours to beat.
Now this is the kind of game I say is best left for the 3DS, PS Vita, or Wii U due to its heavy emphasis on touch screen play interactivity.
'Value for money' does not seem to count when a reviewer gives a game a score.
Nice to see that this game turned out way it did. I remember when Nintendolife did a great interview with the creator. I became very interested in this game once I was done reading it.
Personally I think it looks pretty boring and hard to get into, but I can tell how some people might like it.
This looks lovely.
One man, 7 years, yes 7!!! original, beautiful game that everyone seems to be raving about. Yes, I can buy it cheaper elsewhere, but I'm happy to pay for this as I want to play it on the switch, not my mobile phone and I'm happy to support the dev in the hope that he will do something more in the future.
If it is as good as they say, that's a cheap price for 2-3 hours of pleasure, I spend more in a restaurant or the pub in that time...
@retro_player_22 Nintendo Switch has a great touch screen. Why is it less suited than the others?
$5 on mobile might as well be $50 if you are comparing markets and how customers receive them. So... this is roughly "$35 off" the mobile game price.
No one ever paid for something higher quality every once in a while even though you get the same time or basic usage out of it? Never paid for a good meal, just eat dry crackers or beans and rice all day every day? Never buy a nice coffee? A fancy drink? A collector's edition item that gives you about 5 minutes of appreciation every 5 years or so until it collects dust and becomes a burden to decide to sell, trash, or keep in storage?
All that said, while I can appreciate the value, it's even getting to be a tough market on the eShop itself. It's getting crowded and there are many "safer" places for gamers to spend money. Whatever the reason, it would suck if original, creative works that expand gaming possibilities get ignored on the Switch.
I cannot recommend this game highly enough. It is one of the most mesmerizing games I've ever played. Staggeringly clever and creative. And surprisingly impactful by the end. And, as far as the cost goes: as a piece of art, I'd say it's completely worth it, but as a video game, the playtime doesn't really warrant the pricetag. I was happy to pick it up on Switch rather than play it on my phone's tiny screen, but I imagine the iPad version would be the ideal way to play, because of both the screen size and the price point.
@aaronsullivan Well the touch feature would be pretty useless if you dock it. This game had either sacrifice the touch gameplay for multiplayer or use touch feature over multiplayer. Like I said, games like this would benefit much better had it was made for 3DS or Wii U. It's like if someone made Angry Bird for consoles, on portable with touch functionality you are able to enjoy it more cause it features a great touch mechanic on how you shoot and swing your aim, on console you just don't have that same feel of precise with a controller.
Reading the comments really does make me wonder why on Earth it costs so much more on the Switch.
@retro_player_22 What Multiplayer are you talking about?
@KeeperBvK It has a board game style multiplayer, one where your team tells you what goes where. You can't play multiplayer in handheld mode cause the people who would tell you those can't see it.
@MaSSiVeRiCaN I have never understood this the audience is bigger so charge less or the audience is less so charge more theory. If it’s 5 quid on the App Store it should be around that price point on any platform. Then everyone could choose to buy it on what they want. I’m sorry but I’m not paying three times the amount for a digital game just because it’s on the switch. If they’d released this at a similar price point it would be selling way more than at 15. I, like a few others, read the review then bought it on iOS.
@Heavyarms55 probably because idiots pay the total rip off eshop prices. I got what becomes of Edith finch and firewatch on ps store for 13 quid for the pair a few weeks ago. You can bet if they ever come across to switch they’d be 17 quid each.
I believe $10 would have been a much friendlier and easygoing entry level price point. However, I'm certain Dev porting costs more as well. It's not like these guys (In this case one guy) are doing the porting in house or themselves. So hiring a company to port a game I'm sure has a pretty price tag on it.
Not saying it's ok to charge 3x as much but I can guarantee you that you can't compare prices on an app store to a console platform. Most games are freemium models and fixed price tags are frowned upon and rarely make any decent money.
Also easy to scoff at prices as a consumer when behind the scenes most people have no idea how much it costs to contract companies, developers, publishers and such and want a game to be the same across the board when in reality it's near impossible unless you have big publisher capital such as Square-Enix and EA.
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