Something new we’ll be doing this year is providing a closer look at arguably lesser known, and/or surprise additions to Xbox Game Pass. While Day One releases receive full reviews, these hands-on experiences of typically smaller, indie titles are intended to function as mini assessments. They’re there to introduce you to the game, and help you decide whether it’s worth your time, and drive space.
You don’t have an Xbox Game Pass subscription, you say? You’re a PlayStation devotee? Well, most of the games featured in this series are playable on multiple platforms, subscription service or not. What we’re doing is helping you to discover gems you may have otherwise missed.
January 2022 kicked off with the addition of two indie puzzle games to Game Pass: the 2.5D side-scrolling puzzle platformer The Pedestrian; and multi-award winning Gorogoa, one of the first releases under the Annapurna Interactive banner.
Here’s our take on both games.
The Pedestrian
Of the two titles, The Pedestrian should appeal to, and be more accessible for, more players. People familiar with puzzle platformers should quickly get the hang of things.
Skookum Arts’ The Pedestrian is clever and colourful, with a cheerful Pixar-esque energy that’s reinforced by Logan Hayes’s memorable, upbeat score. Players choose their gender icon, and then they’re off, navigating their tiny figure across a city via its public signage. At all times, you’ll be playing The Pedestrian on two levels. The first level is micro, navigating your 2D character across the signs – running, jumping and interacting with objects. The second level is a zoomed-out, macro state where you manipulate the signs themselves, to create traversable environments for your protagonist.
Exploring urban settings at a shrunk-down level is addictive fun, but it’s recommended that you play The Pedestrian – which can be completed in three to four hours – in shorter sessions. The complexity of the stages ramps up considerably, and with no hint system, and only Post-it Notes and clipboard scribbles providing basic instructions in icon form, the expansive levels can start to feel overwhelming.
Initially released for PC in January 2020, The Pedestrian was a PS console exclusive for a year (starting January 2021) before arriving finally on Xbox this month.
Gorogoa
From developer Jason Roberts, and publisher Annapurna Interactive, 2017 indie release Gorogoa is a more highbrow and cryptic puzzle game than The Pedestrian. Over the course of two to three hours, players engage with lavish, hand-drawn images in a two-by-two grid, aligning the illustrations, overlapping them and zooming in and out to advance the wordless tale (largely detached from time) of a boy pursuing a colourful, mythical creature, while reflecting on his war-torn life.
Gorogoa is elegant and enigmatic. It’s reminiscent of last year’s Moncage, in terms of its image-matching gameplay and, to a certain extent, themes. That said, Gorogoa predates Moncage by almost half a decade. It’s also very much its own thing, so your enjoyment of it will likely depend on how easily you tap into its unique style of logic. Fail to “click” with the game’s puzzle-solving style, and you’ll grow frustrated.
In addition to Game Pass for console and PC, Gorogoa is available on pretty much every platform: PC, Switch, PS, Xbox, and both iOS and Android mobile devices. The latter two options make use of touch functionality which is a perfect fit for this game.