Paperbark is a walking simulator created by Paper House, where the player follows a wombat on a quest for a new home after a bushfire. Players click or tap on the screen to direct the wombat through the Australian bush. Clicking on items/places that are carrot-marked (such as food and obstacles) triggers an animation, which sometimes is accompanied by narration of the scene. Also, the goal of collecting different plants and animals helps drive the story forward as it gives a motivation for players to direct the wombat. The story slowly unfolds as the wombat breaks through obstacles, finds new paths, or encounters new scenery and wildlife. These mechanics help create the fun of discovery, and in turn, drive forth the narrative.
Discovering new paths and areas lead to new narration that describe the feelings of the wombat and also sets a premise for the next chapter of the story. The chapter format further enhances the narrative as the game unfolds like a book. The click-and-discover method of navigation creates a very calming gameplay, which is coherent to the game’s watercolor visual, combined with bird chirping sounds in the background. Consequently, this audio-visual effect creates the fun of sensation. The sticker book resource is another way for players to track their findings through the narrative. Players collect stickers when they encounter new animals for the first time, and this acts like a journal or collector’s book, further adding to the narrative of embarking on an exploration quest.
