Wednesday, October 3, 2012

EXP Podcast #191: Papo y Yo Debrief

Every now and then a game comes along that attempts to address a delicate and rare issue. Minority studio's debut title Papo y Yo does just that. The platforming-puzzle game of sorts is quite explicitly about a young boy and his alcoholic and abusive father. While the game might be "a bit on the nose" for some, it actually reveals quite a bit of narrative depth and artistry. Join us this week on the podcast as Scott and I discuss this indie gem. As always leave your comments below and check out the trailer for Papo y Yo below.



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Show notes:

- Run time: 41 min 50 sec
- Music provided by Brad Sucks

2 comments:

  1. I was quite impressed with Papo y Yo and I hope to see more games like it in the future. It wasn't very difficult, but in my opinion that's the way to go with story-heavy games. I also think making the themes explicit was the right thing to do.
    It's easy to get stuck in an "it's just a game" mentality, at least for
    me. There were a few bits where I knew what to do, but ended up trapped in a near endless loop of being battered by the Monster. My first reaction was frustration over bad game design, but when I remembered what that represented... it made a serious impact.

    I was a little concerned about what would happen once I "won" the game, but I thought the bit with the shaman was handled perfectly. In fact I thought the whole story was handled in an even-handed, adult manner, which is an incredible feat for a video game, especially one with such a deeply personal story.

    Oh, and I really enjoyed your discussion, as always!

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  2. Glad you liked it!


    I enjoyed the amount of restraint the game showed as well. As you say, games often fall into the trap of always having a bombastic (usually triumphant) end, so I was very glad to see something that was both measured and meaningful.

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