Watch and See How Papo & Yo Might Be 2012's Most Charming Video Game

I’ve been wanting to get my hands on upcoming PS3 exclusive Papo & Yo ever since hearing how it draws on the bittersweet childhood of designer Vander Caballero. A playable build at GDC gave me my wish and the video above shows the first few minutes of the game from Montreal-based developer Minority.

https://lastchance.cc/papo-yo-is-a-bittersweet-allegory-of-growing-up-with-5808495%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E

There’s a lot to love about Papo & Yo, even at this early stage. Magical realism and a sense of innocence wafts in from the very beginning, with a reality-bending game of hide-and-seek. A hint system that can only be called adorable, puzzles where houses grow legs and scramble around and sweet Brazilian-inflected guitar music. Even though it’s taking place in an environment that visually draws on third-world poverty, there’s no sadness. There’s a sense of magical realism in Papo & Yo that seems to cherish the way that imagination turns the world into a playground.

I didn’t reach the sections of the game where Papo & Yo‘s titular partnership is formed—where main character Quico meets Monster—but I’ve still played enough to get me very excited about the upcoming PlayStation Network title, which should be hitting PS3s later this year.

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