Who says political games can’t be adorable?
Point-and-click chat fans have been doing quite well lately. We’ve got that gem NORCO this early year, Monkey Island is coming back and now another beautiful adventure game has been announced and subsequently landed on my Steam favorites list. It is called Phonopolisa political narrative title developed by Czech independent collective Amanita Design, best known for Machinarium, Botaniculaand Samorost.
In Phonopolis, the player will take on the role of Felix, a young man living in a chaotic city is threatened by the impending rule of an authoritarian ruler. Since Felix seems to be the only one aware of the lurking danger of the situation, he sets himself the task of stopping the leader and saving his compatriots.
Phonopolis would take on themes of manipulation and individualism, and was “strongly influenced by avant-garde artistic trends of the interwar period such as constructivism, futurism, or supremacy, and their social impact as a propaganda tool.”
It’s sad that this game feels so out of place with the current state of the world, but here we are. At the very least, Amanita has promised to keep the “overall experience playful and refreshing”.
Phonopolis will also be Amanita’s first game with a 3D art style, and the style is definitely one of the attractions for me. Every environment, character, and content is made to look as if it were made of paper, and the setup pieces look as if they were made in miniature. It’s one of the most unique art styles I’ve ever seen in a game, and I can’t tell what else they did with it. About how to play, Phonopolis will also feature exploration and puzzle mechanics at the heart of its narrative.
The game is in development on multiple platforms, although the developer has yet to reveal what’s beyond PC and Mac. We also don’t have a release date, but Amanita doesn’t expect the game to be ready next year. Either way, this is a game worth the wait.
