Botanicula

Review of the casual point-and-click adventure game Botanicula by Amanita Design,

Titles like Botanicula are why the point-and-click adventure genre continues to exist. It may not be as hilarious as adventure games of yesteryear, but it’s persistently delightful, oozing character and grabbing hold of the imagination. Many games strive to be fun, and Botanicula not only accomplishes this, but also manages to use sound and visuals to stir up emotions ranging from sadness to glee. Play this now.

Botanicula won't last long (took around three hours for me), nor is it remotely challenging. The fun and whimsy to find within make it worth exploring, however, and its charm is undeniable -- a delight to behold. It’s simplicity itself, and all the better for it.

Utterly lovely, although certainly imperfect, Botanicula is a game filled with soul and bursting with imagination. As you click your way to victory, it'll be hard to stop grinning.

If you can pull yourself away from killing things for a few hours to play a sweet, adorable, bizarre, funny, joyful game, you owe it to yourself to buy Botanicula. It’s not massively challenging and it only really lasts four hours, but you’ll have a smile on your face for the entire time – and often a good laugh too. The score on the right is pretty rough – in terms of the enjoyment to playing time ratio the game deserves higher, but being critical I have to give Botanicula less than ...