Blanc review – An indie to white home about

Seems like a good day to imagine what we could accomplish if we put aside our differences, and invested all that energy – otherwise wasted on hate, squabbles and sabotage – into working together to achieve something mutually beneficial. That’s the message of brand-new co-operative PC and Switch game Blanc. Equal parts adorable and elegant, Blanc is the debut title from French developers Casus Ludi, and is released today under the Gearbox Publishing banner.

Indie adventure Blanc began life as a game jam prototype created during a heavy snowstorm, and that background has shaped the game’s story, which centres on a wolf cub and fawn who must team up when a blizzard separates them from their families. United despite their predator and prey relationship, our loveable protagonists can draw on their different but complementary abilities to traverse hazardous environments and follow the tracks of their pack and herd respectively. The wolf, for example, can get into small spaces and cut cord with its teeth, while the long-legged deer easily accesses high places, and is equipped to butt large items into place. Collaborating is the pair’s ticket to getting home, and helping some other cute creatures that cross their path in the process.

On the surface Blanc would seem to be a wholesome but otherwise basic puzzle platformer that could slide by alone on the basis of its winsome characters and very stylish aesthetic. On that latter point, there’s no question that Blanc is a striking game, combining hand-drawn pen and pencil art with a 3D treatment to create its monochromatic world. However, there’s much more to the game than just memorable looks and endearing baby animals. It’s has a clean, uncomplicated sophistication to its gameplay that matches its visuals.

Blanc is surprisingly well thought out, accommodating of multiple play styles and preferences. While it’s best experienced as either local or online co-op (using keyboard or recommended controller if you’re playing on PC), you can also comfortably solo the game, splitting your minimalist character controls between either side of your preferred input device. For the record, online co-op is achieved via your friends’ list and both players must own a copy of the game.

While interaction points on the screen may sometimes be difficult to lock onto, Blanc feels sleek and unlaboured on the whole. The textless and dialogue-free story is easy to follow, and the same goes for the levels. All you need do as a player is navigate according to the tracks in the snow. The game makers have also managed to avoid the disorientating split screen so often employed with couch co-op titles through their clever use of zoom. It’s basically impossible for a player to fall off the screen (thinking of you, Ice Climber!) as the camera will pull back as necessary to accommodate both characters.

As for traversal puzzle difficulty, while there is no conventional Easy/Normal/Hard setting, through the Options menu you can dial the in-game tips up and down according to your challenge preference. Even on “Full” tooltips, though, the game gradually releases its grip on players’ hands, allowing you to work things out for yourself.

Talking Blanc’s suitability for players of all ages and sensitivities, the game feels like the love child of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and Endling – Extinction is Forever (our review), but without the emotional devastation of either. Blanc isn’t without its moments of animal distress, and brushes with mortality, but the game’s overall effect is more heart-warming than heart-breaking. It’s the kind of wholesome title you’ll replay when you need some warm fuzzies in your life.

And Blanc is very easy to replay because it’s only around 2 hours long. That shortness will be considered a negative by some, but it does make it an ideal shared gaming experience, as you can complete it in a single sitting without needing to schedule hours-long play sessions. Plus, as already mentioned, the brevity means you can drop back into its gorgeous world whenever you like, even skipping straight to your favourite chapter.

Blanc is really the video game equivalent of a mug of hot chocolate on an icy winter’s day. And its heartfelt celebration of unlikely friendship and empathy makes it the perfect Valentine’s Day gaming debut.

Blanc is out today, 14 February for PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store) and Nintendo Switch.