Platforms
- PCApr 18, 20137.9playscore7.111 Critics9.01.33K Players
- PlayStation 3Aug 14, 20127.8playscore7.323 Critics8.82.14K Players
28 critic reviews · 1 community reviews across all platforms
Critic Reviews
- The battered heart Papo & Yo wears on its sleeve invites players to share a journey made more of pain than polygons. The questions it raises about agency and ability are as heavy as the burden it places on Quico's shoulders. Papo & Yo's narrative ultimately succeeds thanks in large part to the finale's pitch-perfect crescendo. But the voyage fails in its most fundamental aspect — gameplay — and it is impossible to divorce the metaphor from the medium used to deliver it.
Dave Tach · May 07, 2013 Reviewed on PC, PS3Read full review - Papo & Yo is about growing into a person who can escape an abusive family situation, and that’s a theme powerful enough to overwhelm any number of small problems, if pulled off properly. The best parts of the game are when this theme is integrated directly into the action, whether that’s running from an enraged Monster or engaging in escapist fantasy with the platforming and landscape manipulation. It would have been nice if Papo & Yo had a bigger budget, but what’s there accomplishes its goals despite the lack of polish.
James · May 01, 2013 Reviewed on PCRead full review - Like all good fables and fairy tales, this story about a boy using his imagination as an instrument of perseverance in a painful world confronts painful truths in order to offer a realistic foundation for hope. It's that rare game that's good for children, not just as a distraction or a piece of entertainment, but as a nourishing tale that helps to make sense of a world that sometimes makes none at all. But you don't have to be a child to be enchanted by Papo & Yo. Even adults need to see the world through a child's eyes once in a while.
Carolyn Petit · Apr 19, 2013 Reviewed on PC, PS3Read full review - Papo & Yo deals in some fundamental truths about abuse, addiction, and maturity, and I certainly didn’t expect it. It may be short and easy, but it uses games to convey a psychological message that would be otherwise impossible without interaction. If you have a family member going through an addiction of some kind – especially alcohol – or you have suffered abuse at some point in your life, you really need to play Papo & Yo.
James Murff · Apr 19, 2013 Reviewed on PC - No matter how loud Papo & Yo screams for your attention, the only thing most players will hear is a cry for help. The on-paper premise of a traumatic childhood brought to life as a playable short story is brilliant, but the wounded execution can’t quite sell the emotional expression. Papo & Yo bookends a technically disastrous and wholly uninteresting adventure game with brief moments of emotional resonance. An interesting introduction and moving conclusion are hardly worth the gaping hole in Papo & Yo’s well-meaning heart.
Mitch Dyer · Apr 18, 2013 Reviewed on PC, PS3Read full review - In hindsight, Papo & Yo feels like it was destined to be a PC release, given how receptive the PC audience is to brief, evocative, and risk-taking indie ventures. Added perks like saving to the cloud and adjustable graphics settings simply come with the territory. While the $15 price tag is a little steep for such an ephemeral adventure, those who enjoy heartfelt tales in games will be glad they paid for admission to this bittersweet story.
Lucas Sullivan · Apr 18, 2013 Reviewed on PC, PS3Read full review - Papo & Yo is not a technically perfect game, and is perhaps a little short for the asking price, but it covers a topic that is rarely discussed in the world of video games thoughtfully with an inventive style that provokes an emotional response at several points.
Mike Mason · Aug 26, 2012 Reviewed on PS3Read full review - For the happy ending that we so desire, we have to look past the game's melancholy closing chapter, maybe to Caballero himself. He's worked through the damage wrought by his abusive father and crafted a memorable, unique autobiographical work; one that's subtle when it needs to be, and hits hard lest you forget what it's really about. He's managed to make something thoughtful out of something terrible, and, as weird as it is to say given the circumstances, quite fun.
Fraser Brown · Aug 24, 2012 Reviewed on PS3Read full review - Papo & Yo left me with mixed feelings. Its’ delivery felt clumsy, yet its concepts and message are so engaging and interesting. Papo & Yo really tugged at my heartstrings, like few other games have managed as of late, and on that basis, despite some valid criticism, I feel it really is a worthwhile little game. The game contains technical issues and wholly uninteresting puzzles, but the brief moments of emotional story telling lead to a moving conclusion worth seeing through during its five hour tale.
Daniel Kozlowski · Aug 23, 2012 Reviewed on PS3Read full review - Papo & Yo is a game that will no doubt continue to divide opinion. It’s fun, cohesive and meaningful yet suffers from a lapse in replayability and all-round polish. The game’s high-tier pricing is also another issue, especially when standing shoulder to shoulder with reasonably-pitched games such as Counter Strike: Global Offensive and Sound Shapes as part of Sony’s PLAY promotion.
Jim Hargreaves · Aug 22, 2012 Reviewed on PS3Read full review
Loading reviews
Community Reviews
- Rated on PS3
About the game
Trailers & Screenshots:
Quico’s best friend, Monster, is a huge beast with razor-sharp teeth, but that doesn’t scare Quico away from playing with him. That said, Monster does have a very dangerous problem: an addiction to poisonous frogs. The minute he sees one hop by, he’ll scarf it down and fly into a violent, frog-induced rage where no one, including Quico, is safe. And yet, Quico loves his Monster and wants to save him.
Developer: Minority Media