The point and click adventure genre is the subject of endless discussion. Is it dying? Is it experiencing a resurgence? Is it a triumph of classic gameplay, or perhaps it shows how gaming is evolving? The pretentious debate can rage on, but companies like Amanita Design are proving that the point and click adventure is still a force to be reckoned with, thanks to terrific little games like Botanicula.
“Terrific little game” indeed. Botanicula’s one major flaw is its length. It should take less than three hours for the average player to beat it, but that brevity shouldn’t prevent anyone from grabbing this gem.
As with Amanita’s last game, Machinarium, the story is told with no dialog or text. Characters communicate to each other through the use of animated thought bubbles that show brief depictions of their goal or history, and it’s done so effectively that players shouldn’t even miss the use of written language or spoken words.
And it’s such a cute, family-friendly story too. Five adorable little plant creatures must work together to save their tree from an invasion of shadowy spider monsters. They aren’t able to directly combat the invaders most of the time, so the five critters must use the environment to get around dangerous enemies, and must perform errands to earn the assistance of the other residents of the tree (And engage in the occasional bit of mischief to “Borrow” items they need for their quest).
Each of the playable characters has their own special abilities. One can fly, another stretches, yet another can smoosh herself flat. They travel as a group, with the Player controlling them all for most of the game, and several puzzles involve figuring out which character has the right ability for the task at hand.
These puzzles and many more have a trial and error feel to them, but there’s no punishment for making a wrong choice. This reduces the difficulty level, but it does increase the whimsical feel of the game (Choosing “Wrong” actually rewards the player with a funny animation of whatever character they choose failing at the task).
Botanicula is clearly a game made for fun, rather than challenge. Many of the quests and puzzles are entirely optional, and most involve just finding a single item, then bringing it to the right place. A few puzzles involve the use of a simple physics engine that allows players to push items around on screen, or use stretchy/ springy effects. These physics effects can also be used to fiddle around with leaves and items that have nothing to do with solving puzzles – it’s just for fun!
There are also plenty of objects and creatures that can be clicked on but have nothing to do with puzzles or progressing the plot. They’re just there for the pleasure of making a flower light up light a light bulb, or watching a bird pull a series of bigger and bigger insects out of a hole (Plus the collectible “Creature Cards” that players earn for each such creature they discover).
It’s a fairly linear experience too, especially for the first half. Eventually players will be allowed to explore larger levels with many sections, solving puzzles and collecting items in any order they like.
The art design is gorgeous, as is the music. Sound effects and “Voices” of the chattering creatures is excellent, and the story is very sweet. There are some scary monsters near the very end, and a short combat sequence, but it remains completely family-friendly.
Despite the adorable characters and story, Botanicula is still fun for adults too. With the easy gameplay, some hardcore adventure game fans might not care for it, but it’s otherwise a very easy recommendation, especially for players seeking an introduction to point and click games.
It is rather short, but that just means that playing all the way through Botanicula is a terrific way to spend an evening. It is out now for PC, Mac and Linux with an iOS version forthcoming.
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