Phoenix Springs

Phoenix Springs is a point-and-click adventure game, set in a mysterious neo-noir world that feels like it could be a near future. It’s the debut game from Calligram Studio, a team of three people between the UK and France. They call themselves an art collective rather than a development studio, which in any other situation might come off as pretentious. However, this team is well prepared to back up their claims of thinking about the medium of computer games differently. A near-future, mys...

Phoenix Springs's artwork is stunning, and the soundtrack is perfect for setting the mood. The hand-drawn landscape wonderfully serves as a backdrop for the intriguing and twisting story.

Phoenix Springs is a gorgeous, enigmatic puzzle investigation game that takes a unique approach to point-and-click mechanics and just about everything else too.

A beautiful, elusive mood piece, Phoenix Springs' blend of taut dystopian detective noir and meandering surrealism is likely to frustrate as much as it intrigues.

A compliment sandwich always tastes best when it comes to reviews, so I’ll leave you with this: I’d recommend the game despite its blemishes. Phoenix Springs is a self-contained experience with something to say, and these kinds of games don’t come around as often as I’d like them to. You’d do well to support Calligram’s garage band vibe and dive into Iris’ story for yourself. The secrets there may surprise you. Of that, though, I can’t be sure. What I can guarantee is that you’ll be floored by the game’s atmosphere and the narrative payoff contained within its shadowy depths.