Common Sense Media Review
By Chad Sapieha
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dramatic and affecting puzzler about alcoholism and abuse.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Papo & Yo
What's It About?
Based on the personal experiences of its designer, PAPO & YO chronicles an abused child's escape into a fantasy world. Players take the role of the boy as he journeys through a magical shanty town where chalk drawings of gears and stairs transform into real objects, shifting the shape of the environment and offering solutions to challenging puzzles. The boy quickly encounters a playful girl who teases and leads him onward. Soon after he encounters a monster addicted to frogs who represents his alcoholic and abusive father. The game concludes with a series of emotional scenes in which the metaphors are laid bare, and the boy finally understands what he has to do in order to survive.
Is It Any Good?
Papo & Yo is likely dissimilar to anything you may have played before. It has a beautiful and cleverly designed world as well as an unusual flavor of platform puzzles that come complete with an ingenious system of hints and clues delivered via boxes with crayon drawings scrawled on their insides. But the truly extraordinary thing here is the game's bold narrative about alcoholism and abuse. It successfully conveys an atmosphere of fear, hope, struggle, and, ultimately, resignation. It tackles a sad and troubling subject with delicacy, bravery, and intelligence.
The experience is, unfortunately, marred slightly by sometimes iffy controls and uneven difficulty that may leave players flying along for lengthy stretches then stuck for long minutes. As a game, it's average. But as a method of conveying a personal and artistic message, it's frequently brilliant.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about alcoholism. What is it? What dangers does it create? Who can you turn to for help if someone you know is an alcoholic?
Families can also discuss child abuse. What forms does it take? How can you recognize psychological abuse? What options are available for kids in bad home situations?
Game Details
- Platforms : Linux , Mac , PlayStation 3 , Windows
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : analyzing evidence , applying information , logic , Emotional Development : developing resilience , empathy , identifying emotions , moving beyond obstacles , Responsibility & Ethics : making wise decisions
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Sony Computer Entertainment
- Release date : August 15, 2012
- Genre : Adventure
- Topics : Fantasy
- Character Strengths : Empathy
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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