Gorogoa is a vibrant point-and-click game released by Annapurna Interactive. The game follows the story of a young boy through different phases of his life as he tries to find meaning. People can place images into 4 panels at each stage to progress the story.
Created by Jason Roberts, the hand-drawn illustrations of the puzzle-solving game are awe-inspiring. The original gameplay of Gorogoa involves arranging pictures around the panel and interacting with them to form a cohesive narrative. Find 5 fruits and fill them with unique colors to uncover the nostalgic journey of the boy as he grows older and more mature with time. Players new to Gorogoa can bear these things in mind as they move through the panels.
10 Use Doors To Make Way For The Boy
Gorogoa is filled with details that interconnect with seemingly separate panels. Look for similarly placed objects and patterns that can be weaved into the panel to clear the way for the boy to move around.
For example, in the first chapter, the boy can be seen turning on the light in a closet next to the couch. After he lifts the bowl from the closet, he will briefly pause before being able to exit. In the panel to the left of the boy is a picturesque image that displays the rooftops of the city. Zoom in on the closed door with the red symbol and move it to the right panel to help the boy move out to the closet.
9 Connect Trees From Different Parts
Trees play an important role in the story of Gorogoa. There are several panels in the game that depict parts of trees around the panel. A few of the scenes have trees in the background, behind walls and fences and in others, they may be shown as part of a picture that’s hanging on the wall.
Zooming in on trees to form a bigger picture can often lead the way forward. Move left and right in panels to find parts of the trees that can blend in with panels directly next to them. In Chapter 1, zooming in on the picture hanging next to the closet can help players find the red fruit.
8 Take A Moment To Enjoy The Sequences
The original artwork of Gorogoa is vivid and is designed to take the player through an immersive experience. There are numerous tiny little details in each illustrated panel that is worth appreciating all by themselves. These details capture the architecture of a beautiful city and the silent thrill of its mundane existence.
Connecting the separate images by moving them around can feel satisfying when it forms a bigger picture. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts and the sequences of these images bring minute details to life. Simple sequences such as the crow lifting off the branch as the apple falls into the bowl can be a treasure that can be cherished by people of all ages.
7 Remember The Color Of The 5 Fruits
The story of Gorogoa revolves around the 5 fruits that must be collected to offer to the Dragon. These 5 fruits are symbolized by a curvy design that is revealed during the first few seconds of the game. It can be seen being held up above a bowl by the boy and a bearded man before Chapter 1 begins.
Pay attention to the color of these fruits as the game is primarily filled with this palette. Green, blue, red, yellow, and purple are the distinct colors of the 5 fruits. As players complete the chapters, they will come across many objects in the game that can be grouped by their coloring. The color of the boy’s t-shirt, apple, and the tiles of the city’s roofs are red. This could indicate that these objects are hard to reach.
6 Listen To The Ringing Around Specific Objects
Throughout the game, players will reach roadblocks that are difficult to understand. Having all 4 panels filled with images from different environments can be frustrating as it can cloud the progression of the story. Fortunately, the point-and-click game sends out hints that can be a lifesaver in such situations.
These hints are depicted by a white ring that expands outward around key objects in an image. The white ring looks similar to a concentric circle formed on a pool of water after a pebble has been dropped into it. These white rings are accompanied by a subtle sound that pings players to take the next action.
5 Move Images At The End Of Their Sequences
The 4 panels of the game can be resourceful to figure out the progression of the story. After a sequence of a new image has played out, players can click on it and move it to a panel below or above it. Doing this will reveal a new panel from the old image that can give a fresh perspective to the story.
People will be surprised by the panels that can be put together with this technique. Images with open pathways can be placed on top of illustrations that depict the boy walking up the stairs or entering a room.
4 Boards And Signs Are Detachable
Gorogoa is teeming with boards and signs that have hidden meanings. These boards are signs are spread throughout the city and can be zoomed in to find astounding symbols and paths of progress. The answers to most of the game’s puzzles are closer than people might think.
While searching for the green fruit in Chapter 2, the boy will encounter a brick wall with the symbol of the green fruit spray-painted on it. Players can find a board that looks like a canvas placed next to it. Clicking on the board will zoom in and reveal an entrance that can be moved back onto the panel that leads the boy to the garden.
3 Use Stars To Light Lamps
Lanterns are a vital aspect of Gorogoa. Lighting lanterns can be a challenging endeavor in the game. People need to arrange several images before being able to light them. Chapter 3 has up to 3 lanterns that can be lit in this manner. The lantern placed on a stack of books and in front of the dresser in Chapter 3 can be lit using a star that is found North of the stairs with the 2 green fruit symbols on the roof.
Lighting the next lantern found inside the mirror can be a daunting task. Replace the screw with a cloud on the left of the lantern and insert the image of stones to the right. This will make the lantern slide to the next panel. Zoom into the star and move the lantern over it to light it up.
2 Butterflies Are A Symbol Of Transformation
Among the objects that can be found in the game, butterflies are a sign of life and transformation. The butterfly is a recurrent character in the story of Gororgoa. It can mostly be seen fluttering around a lantern that is newly lit from a star.
By zooming into the wings of a butterfly, players will be able to see the yellow fruit and the different ideologies it has stood for. People encountering the butterfly must ponder on its meaning and the relevance it holds for the boy as the story moves forward. The yellow fruits are borne by the sculptures that have a deeper meaning.
1 Don’t Finish Gorogoa In One Sitting
Understanding the story is far more important than completing the chapters in Gorogoa. Getting the fruits isn’t as time-consuming as discovering the meaning behind the many objects that come together in each panel. Although there are speed runners that can finish the game within 15 minutes, people that can spend hours or even days playing the game will find it more fruitful.
From vibrant books kept on the shelf to clocks and globes, Gorogoa is rich with meaning. Witnessing the young boy grow older as he walks from panel to panel can be hugely rewarding for indie lovers.
Released in December 2017, Gorogoa can be played on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and iOS.