Papo and Yo
Review

Papo and Yo (2012) is an adventure narrative game where you play as a young boy, Quico, exploring a Brazilian city slum. As you solve puzzles and perform well-timed jumps to progress through the city, you must also deal with a monster – both real and metaphorically representing your alcoholic father.

It's a platform game based on exploration, running and jumping. There are also puzzles in the game where you interact with the world by moving blocks around and triggering interactions with hieroglyphics written on walls and doors. The monster can sometimes help with these puzzles but has an addiction to eating frogs and if he eats one he becomes a fiery, raging beast that will damage anything around him. Quico can use fruit to calm him down.

Although visually a little odd-looking, this artisan-style works with the complex and at times dark theme to create a moving and unusual way to deal with the subject of domestic abuse.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Papo and Yo 3 years ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 5 months ago.