Origament: A Paper Adventure is a short but sweet puzzle adventure that offers a relaxed series of challenges, uplifted by a unique origami transformation mechanic and cozy atmosphere.
Ever since playing Tearaway for PlayStation Vita, I’ve had a strong appreciation for games that incorporate papercraft not only into their aesthetic but also into their game design. Games like Tearaway and the Paper Mario series have proven that there is a lot of imagination to be found in setting a game amidst a hand-crafted world, opening the door to a myriad of mechanical possibilities across various genres. Origament: A Paper Adventure, the debut game from Space Saucer Studio, offers a new spin on the papercraft interactive toybox.
This short but sweet puzzle game offers a small selection of linear levels where players guide a crumpled letter on a path to its destination. It’s guided by an origami cat as players transform it between ball, boat, plane, and shuriken formations to solve environmental challenges and clear obstacles.
Levels are often short and avoid outstaying their welcome, with frequent checkpoints keeping things at a solid pace. After each level, players find themselves in a hub area with their cat companion. They can use collectible coins to unlock different colors for their character or acquire “origami blueprints,” a rather strange reward that gives the player an actual blueprint for how to create real-world origami constructs. This honestly feels like a bit of a forced reward system.
The environments help keep things fresh in their aesthetic variety and thanks to the introduction of small but effective mechanics. The game’s opening level is mainly set on a downstream river, with the momentum dictating the speed at which the player’s boat transformation accelerates. There are light platforming challenges where the player must guide the plane across pits and other hazards and times when the shuriken must be used to fend off enemies. These eventually form a sort of aesthetic language where certain terrain indicates where each of the transformations are necessary, but never in a way that becomes too intense.
What’s obvious from the outset is that Origament is a deliberately zen experience. From the relaxing ambient music to the calm lushness of its ‘Garden’ opening level, this is a game that invites unwinding with relatively frictionless puzzle design. I never found myself spending too long on any single challenge, always keeping a forward momentum and immediately identifying which of my abilities were required at any given moment.
This has its downsides, as my interest in the game diminished the further I got, leading me to spacing out my play sessions more. There are certain challenges that require a bit more attention, but the overall briskness makes it a harder recommendation for anyone looking for anything apart from a cozy, straightforward puzzle game.
The game is, however, a great fit for handheld PCs. The low specifications and simplistic gameplay mean it’ll run well across various hardware. I had a particularly comfortable time playing it on my Steam Deck, where I feel as though the game shines as a cozy, simple indie game reminiscent of titles from the early Xbox Live Arcade or PlayStation Network days.
Verdict
Origament: A Paper Adventure is a cute and charming puzzle game for those seeking a laid-back experience with some solid mechanics. Although things do start to get one-note after a while, anyone looking for a bit more intense of a puzzle experience might want to steer clear.
