This week, I played a fascinating game called Gorogoa. Gorogoa is an innovative puzzle game developed by Jason Roberts, who transitioned from a non-entertainment software engineering background into game development, and released the game in December 2017. Gorogoa struck me with its beautiful hand-drawn artwork and its unique puzzle mechanics that challenge conventional gameplay and narrative storytelling. The mechanics of the puzzle influences the game by embedding the puzzles with engaging narrative and combining card trick and complexity of jigsaw puzzles.
First of all, one big question that I am considering for all puzzle games is how to make the puzzle game engaging and not too complicated for the users to solve? At first, I admit that I have encountered some problems with understanding how to navigate the game. I was not able to continue the game because some of the hints are not clear. Therefore I have to read the captions and the stories until I am familiar with the setting. In my opinion, Gorogoa addresses the problem of making the game engaging by embedding its puzzles within the fabric of an immersive world, filled with everyday elements laden with “hidden potential”, as the game designers says in the 2018 presentation. The game does not just present puzzles to be solved; it integrates them into a larger narrative about love, war, etc. This setting encourages players to explore and interact with the environment in a meaningful way.
At the core of Gorogoa’s gameplay is a distinctive mechanism that involves multiple panels, reminiscent of both card tricks and jigsaw puzzles. According to the presentation, Jason Roberts was inspired by the concept of transcending traditional frames, as typically seen in static images. In Gorogoa, players are encouraged to think beyond these confines, moving elements across panels to create new, interconnected scenes. This approach was inspired by the dynamic layout of comic books, where multiple panels guide the reader’s eye in a sequence that tells a story.
The game ingeniously combines the simplicity of card tricks with the complexity of jigsaw puzzles. Each panel can be moved, overlaid, and combined with others to solve puzzles that are set within an interesting narrative. This mechanic combines the benefits of card and jigsaw in that it encourages players to perceive everyday objects in a new light in order to recognize patterns and connections that are not immediately obvious.
The music of Gorogoa sets the mood and contributes to the game’s atmosphere. The soundtrack enhances the sense of mystery and enchantment and complements the visual art style and reinforces the game’s overall tone. The serene yet compelling (somewhat eerie as well) music cues help to elevate the puzzle-solving experience. Despite the absence of dialogue, Gorogoa’s images alone provide a cohesive narrative. Each frame is not just a part of a puzzle but pieces together a larger story. The narration is nonlinear, as a player I have to piece together the panels to create a larger story and understand that the game happens in the protagonist’s youth, adulthood, and remembrance when they are old. Thus, the interaction between the panels creates a silent narrative that unfolds through the player’s actions, making each solution to a puzzle a revelation in the story.
Example of panels: In this scene, the player has to move the panel to get the ball drop so that the butterfly could break out of the glass.
