Gorogoa, a game by Jason Roberts, is an elegant single-player puzzle game available on multiple platforms, including Steam and Switch.
The puzzle design in Gorogoa incorporates both the conventional mechanics as physical puzzles – as in-the-box knowledge from the general audience – and some wholly original designs. These include in-panel animation, zoom-in and -out, inter-block arrangement, combination, overlap and interaction in imaginative ways to solve the puzzle. These “out-of-the-box” techniques are introduced gradually, allowing players to discover and master them as they progress. Combined with a mysterious narrative, these mechanics elevate the puzzle-solving experience. The hand-drawn artwork and soft, soulful music add a rich aesthetic dimension that complements the game’s intellectual challenge. These novel experiences are simple enough for the players to pick up, but also complex enough to engage them. It is safe to say that Gorogoa is pushing the boundaries of puzzle game experiences into new territory.
To break it down, the basic puzzle mechanics of Gorogoa is a simple 4-panel puzzle frame, as shown in Figure 1. Similar with conventional puzzles, the panels can be moved around to combine and form complete the scene, as shown in Figure 2.
What sets Gorogoa apart is that each panel contains dynamic content: the animal or perspective can change automatically; the player can click to zoom-in/out, move to the left or right, etc.. In Figure 2, the first panel is shifted from the first panel in Figure 1. These features increase the degree of freedom of solving a puzzle, as well as opens up storytelling possibilities integrated directly into gameplay.
The most brilliant part of Gorogoa that intrigues great imagination is the inter-panel arrangement, overlap, combination, and interaction. For example, overlapping two visually compatible panels can create new, unexpected spaces or trigger scene transitions, as seen when shifting from Figure 3 to Figure 4. These interactions blur the boundaries between different “worlds” within the game and allow for deceptively simple yet intricately designed puzzles that reward careful observation and experimentation. This greatly deepens the dimension of the puzzle, and surprises the player with some very simple yet delicate design.
Gorogoa also broadens the fun of a puzzle game by unique aesthetic design and mysterious storyline. As shown in the figures above, the subtle hand-drawn style is very easing and beautiful, together with the soft background music matching the visuals, setting a calm, reflective mood, drawing players into the game’s mysterious world. As the game progresses, symbolic motifs—such as ancient-looking colored emblems and cryptic transitions between chapters—hint at deeper themes of time, memory, spirituality, and personal journey (Figure 5). This narrative is not explicitly stated but is instead unfolded through visual metaphors and intuitive discovery, bringing interpretation and emotional engagement.
In summary, Gorogoa applies a combined puzzle mechanics of conventional and original ones, great and unique arts and music, and wordless novel storytelling, to create rich funs of fantasy, sensation, challenge, and narrative, by a simple enough yet surprising and engaging puzzle design.
Ethical Topic
Gorogoa is a gentle and nonviolent game, but one ethical concern arises from accessibility—particularly for players with color blindness. Many of the puzzles rely on distinguishing subtle color variations and visual motifs. Because the game’s art is heavily color-coded and lacks traditional text or audio cues, players with red-green color blindness or other forms of color vision deficiency may find certain puzzles difficult. The game also does not currently offer colorblind modes or alternative visual indicators. This raises questions about inclusivity in design. Expanding accessibility options—like customizable contrast, pattern overlays, or assistive hints—could allow a broader audience to fully enjoy Gorogoa’s elegant and innovative world.
