In this top-down paper-folding puzzler, take on the role of Paige Turner, who has the supernatural ability to bend the spatial dimension of her 2D world around her.
Story
In Paper Trail, Paige Turner (get it? She can turn pages!) has been accepted into university but her parents don’t want her to leave home. One night, while her parents are sleeping, she sneaks out and embarks on an adventure to reach the university where she has been accepted to attend.
Unbeknownst to everyone, Paige can fold the space around her, allowing her to create paths and shortcuts to areas previously considered impossible to reach. But where does her power come from? And is Paige the only person who can fold space-time?
Gameplay
Imagine the game world has been printed on both sides of a piece of paper. Paige exists on one side of the paper and by creating folds in the paper, Paige can use what’s printed on the reverse side to create paths, shortcuts, repair broken structures, etc. Folding is achieved in two different ways; you can peel the paper back from the sides or you can curl the corners inwards at a diagonal.
Puzzles start off easy enough, requiring you to only fold one side back-and-forth, but soon enough you will have to combine folding techniques in a myriad of ways to get Paige across her paper world. For example, at the start of Paige’s journey, your only priority is folding back the page to create paths for Paige to walk over but later on, you will be required to connect bridges, electricity, and moving platforms.
When you’re not forging a path for Paige to follow, you’re participating in interactive cutscenes with Paige narrating her story. These vignettes take place between levels and act as a bridge between scenes. They’re also where you will learn more about Paige, her over-protective parents, and her paper-folding ability.
As the complexity increases you will begin to appreciate how such a simple premise has such breadth, which is easily Paper Trail’s crowning achievement. Paper Trail is only a handful of levels, each unique and varied in their own way, but it’s not difficult to see what potential a Paper Trail 2 might have.
Difficulty
Although the art design is truly beautiful, it doesn’t lend itself to an easy introduction. Picking Paper Trail up for the first time is not intuitive and figuring out how to turn the pages is a learning experience all of its own. Once you get to grips with it, folding the paper starts to feel more natural but it has such a minimal design that it feels difficult to get started. Everything blends seamlessly with the background, so trying to figure out why a page isn’t turning can be a real headache at times. For example, if Paige (or any moveable object) is on top of the fold, you can’t move it, and sometimes it’s difficult to tell when a corner can be turned or not. It’s not without its visual clues – the edges glow white and there’s a slight colour change – but you will have to train your brain and let it properly sink in before gameplay becomes comfortable.
Thankfully, if you are struggling with a puzzle you can press a button (on Xbox press Y) to show you how to complete it. It should be appreciated how the developers have included the solution to each puzzle as this allows Paper Trail to be experienced by as many people as possible. They’re obviously aware of how difficult Paper Trail can be at times and their recognition should be applauded because they have found a solution that (hopefully) pleases everyone.
For those extra hardships, there are collectable origami boats dotted around each level. There is no helpful guide for picking these up, so collecting them all isn’t for the faint-hearted. Odds are, you will stumble across a few accidentally by experimenting but collecting them all will push Paige’s abilities (and your own) to their limit.
Final Score: 9/10
Should you play it? Yes
Why? Paper Trail is almost the perfect game; it’s a fun and rewarding experience that doesn’t overstay its welcome, although its endless possibilities will leave you wanting more. It strikes the perfect balance of cozy and complex, so it has enough personality to appeal to various player groups. Paper Trail makes you feel smart for playing it and anything that makes you feel smarter deserves brownie points!
But… Paper Trail teases a grand revelation for her paper-folding abilities but it never delivers on its promise. The UI could be improved a little too; and if not the UI, then at least make turning pages more readable. If you have colour blindness or a small TV, you may have problems adjusting to how its core mechanic is conveyed.
Reviewed on Xbox Series S
Developer: Catness Game Studios, Maniac Panda Games
Publisher: Moonatic Studios
Playable on: Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, Steam, PC
Released: 28th March 2024
