I spent the weekend playing a game for which I have waited four years. It has been in production for seven.

That game is Gorogoa—a masterwork of delicate grandeur. It's mainly the work of one man: Jason Roberts.

You might call it a puzzle game. For the most part it consists of moving picture tiles around a 2x2 grid. But that sounds too mathematical.

More accurately it’s Alice in Wonderland for the distracted generation.

The Plot

A boy sees a colourful dragon in the distance and sets off to find it. In his hands is a mystical encyclopaedia. In his imagination is a whole lot more.

We must scrutinise and manipulate gorgeous illustrations, zooming in and out, finding connections and piecing them together to help the child on his quest.

The Visual

Roberts created, developed and illustrated Gorogoa in its entirety (minus the sound). He painstakingly drew, tested, ruminated, redrew and retested until it was perfect. This is one reason why we had to wait so long.

The result is a unique visual cornucopia of ancient ruins, urban decay, abundant nature, industrial clatter, war-torn cities and domestic calm.

The Aural

This game sounds delightful. The music—by Joel Corelitz—is dramatically ambient. The sound effects—by Eduardo Ortiz Frau—are quietly magnificent. Chief among the latter is the gentle sound of paper being lifted and set down as we move tiles around the grid. A star twinkles. Stone steps are climbed. Fruit drops softly into a bowl.

The Feel

The puzzle element is discovering synergy between the tiles. The boy steps through a doorway. We remove the doorway. We zoom into a photo of a garden and invite him to it.

It often feels like the game is guiding you, rather than vice versa. Roberts has said that if you’re stuck the answer is always close by. One time I was baffled and thought the game was broken.

I finally realised it was I who was broken.

The Legacy

If I had to compare it to other games—and perhaps it's incomparable—I would say it has mechanical elements of The Room, and the philosophy of David OReilly’s Everything.

But make no mistake: Gorogoa stands alone as benchmark of games as art. Roberts’ creativity and skill is something to be amazed by. It was well worth the wait.

Find a safe space and sit down to it immediately.

Gorogoa is available now on iOS, Windows and Nintendo Switch. I AirPlayed it from my iPhone to the big TV.


Thank you for reading.