Paperthin

Paperthin is a journey. A minimalistic experience that’s covered in static and grey. It takes you on an endless journey through randomized levels that offer time for introspection, it’s a place to be alone with your thoughts.

In Paperthin things are pretty simple. You have a 2D world that’s put together the moment you start the game or begin a new level, and it’s waiting to be traversed. There is no background story or any kind of narration to give it all a sense of purpose or meaning. You just go to the right side and see what awaits you.

This lack of a specific goal (other than seeing how far you can go) gives the player time to wander around the game while wondering about whatever comes to mind. Paperthin is gloomy, somewhat uneasy and with its soundtrack, it kind of makes for a perfect environment to leave your mind be. It’s the equivalent of taking a digital walk to think about things when it’s raining outside.

Playing Paperthin is totally enjoyable if you’re a fan of platformers. There are a handful of controls and mechanics to use and they work perfectly. Everything runs smooth, effects and animations are well polished, overall design is interesting, all of which make it a good game, more so if you’re into a bit of abstract in your gaming.

The game shouldn’t be taken lightly though, it does have it’s tough moments. There is a lot of dying that goes into it and since your character is very fragile, you might end up restarting the game more often than you think.

To wrap it up, Paperthin is a refreshingly enjoyable game. Its basicness might be a bit of off putting but after a bit of exploration the atmosphere of it all gets you and keeps you there.