Paper Trail

I find myself totally blown away by what Paper Trail offers. It’s a simple story told via, what appears on the surface to be, a rather simple gameplay mechanic and yet Paper Trail is anything but simple. From relief to joy, this is a game that elicits so many complex human emotions all via the simple art of virtual origami. It’s a charming game that I hope to see on many year-end lists and easily my favourite indie of the year so far.

Paper Trail is a beautiful indie puzzle game with unique mechanics that isn’t afraid to present its players with a challenge. Its strong color schemes and charming characters will make this a great addition to your cozy games collection, especially if you’re looking for something to put your brain to work. However, finicky controls on console creates some very minor hindrances which, if you’re already feeling a bit stumped on some puzzles, can lead you to stepping away for a short spell.

Paper Trail is a fine puzzle game with a lovely origami mechanic that will delight and confound you in equal measure, especially if you’re looking to hoover up the collectibles as you go. Each level has the feeling that the developers expertly crafted the puzzles. On top of excellent presentation, this is a cut above.

Eloquent in design that never loses its puzzling magic, Paper Trail is a great entry into the puzzle genre. With perfect implementation of the ever-folding world you play through and wonderful visuals to bask in, you won’t mind if the story is by the numbers, as everything else will keep you glued to the page.

Paper Trail is a charming game with an interesting and unique puzzle mechanic. The story doesn’t quite reach the emotional highs that we were expecting but it’s still a sweet coming-of-age tale set in a gorgeous world complemented by a beautifully atmospheric soundtrack.

All in all, Paper Trail is a beautiful, thoughtful experience. This interesting approach to puzzle construction sets it apart from other sin the genre, and its audio-visual landscape only adds to its charm. While completing some of the levels was a struggle and having so many mechanics at once was difficult at times, Paper Trail remains a pleasure to venture through and solve.

Paper Trail is an indie game with plenty of soul that mixes successfully the narrative and gameplay parts into an immersive experience. While the story is interesting enough, what will keep you most invested in the game is figuring out how to fold and slide in order to solve the puzzles. There are some aspects that could use fixing like the repeating soundtrack and maybe a more precise hint system, overall, Paper Trails is a fascinating journey in a modern fairy tale, worthy of the attention of puzzle fans.

Balancing discipline and freedom, and showcasing creativity within constraints, it demonstrates that you can shape your own path through life, while suggesting ways you might build upon everything you learn along the way. [Issue#399, p.118]

A charmingly illustrated, perspective-shifting puzzle game about paper folding, that has just enough intricacy to keep you engaged without ever making you feel stumped.

Brought to life with gorgeous hand-drawn art, Paper Trail is beautiful to look at. Its puzzles, centring around folding and unfolding paper, are an acquired taste, however, and can quickly grow tiresome. As well-designed and clever as they are, we'd wager some players will struggle to digest more than a couple of levels at a time.