Gorogoa 2017

Is it still worth playing?

Jason Roberts' 2017 puzzle game, which he developed alone over nearly six years after it began as a failed attempt at an interactive graphic novel. You are shown up to four images in a two by two grid. You can zoom in on an image or pan across it, and move it to another space. When an image has a hole, such as a doorway, it works as a mask over another, creating a new image. By stacking, combining and exploring the images you find the connection between them and open new areas. There is no language, so you work out what to do yourself, though a completed connection animates briefly to show its result. A boy seeks an encounter with a divine monster across the 19th and 20th centuries, exploring themes of spirituality and religion. With no language to read, every image is still something to study.