Truberbrook Review by GameDojo

Developer: Btf // Publisher: Heads Up // Released: March 12, 2019 // MSRP: $26.99/ £22.99 // Multiplayer: None // Link: Official site // Buy it: Steam

Those beautiful buildings and sunset and forest and lake and gorgeous gorgeous environments. All handcrafted, and I don’t mean in the metaphorical sense, this studio actually built their environments and that is just amazing to me. Throw in some sci-fi secrets in a quiet picturesque town and I’m on vacation.

Story

We find ourselves in 1960s Germany, arriving at a small and very remote town called Trüberbrook. Our main protagonist Hans Tannhauser from Washington won a trip to vacation in this town. This is the beginning of a twilight zone kind of story, for Hans doesn’t remember entering any lottery, but needing the vacation he goes anyway.

So this is where we start, quaint town with an eerie twin peaks vibe and peculiar characters that I have enjoyed every moment interacting with, even considering how weird some of them are, its that very thing that I love about them. The towns hero statue is called Hilarius, and I think that sums up all the characters I’ve met so far.

The true main character of the story though is the town itself, with all the pop culture references and design, it’s like a person in itself that brings the story to life.

A wonderful, dark, hilarious adventure that takes us through sinister hospitals, mysterious corporations and lost laboratories.

Gameplay

I’ve played my fair share of point and click games, having grown up with Broken Sword and every sequel after that, not to mention Grim Fandango and countless other classics, it was hard for me not to compare.

Trüberbrook has, for me, already ticked several important boxes that every point and click adventure should abide by, and that is an engaging story, unforgettable characters and well-written dialogue that is enthusiastically delivered. This isn’t a genre to shake up with new features and mechanics. They did clean some up though when interacting with objects/

people, any relating items will be linked, or when combining items, it will show you what it can be combined with. Very user-friendly, but for me and maybe some others who enjoy the puzzling nature of these games, it makes it too easy.

Also, one tiny thing that niggles at me, the inventory just shows you what you have, I would have liked a feature to click on an item and remember why I have it or inspect it for further details.

Sound & Graphics

The sound and music fit the mood they are trying to deliver. It’s quaint and homely but in a creepy bouncy way. I really enjoy it and will probably be getting the soundtrack too. Already I have gushed about the characters personalities and this is brought to life through their dialogue and design. Both of which remind me of Henry Sellick and his work (Coraline, Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach), if this was part of their inspiration, it shows (especially with Trude). It’s this cute and approachable design that has a slight edge of uneasiness. Stealing the show is the environments, not only are they beautiful and so detailed, they were all lovingly created by hand (I’ve seen the photos, love behind the scenes). Like when you make a stop motion animation,

miniature worlds are built with texture and atmosphere. The lighting is top notch making every shot like a photograph I could hang up.

Replay Value

This game doesn’t really have any replay value, but with what you’re getting, you probably don’t need it. There is more than enough story and fun to be had in this game. I’ve been told the length can vary but mostly lies between 5 and 8hrs to complete.

Final Thoughts

Still playing the game (So no spoilers!), but it’s just so enjoyable, definitely my favourite one to play this month. Gameplay is smooth, the visuals and sound are picturesque and eerie at the same time. Already the story has hooked me and I’m eager to finish this review so I can go back and find out what happens next. Talking to the characters is super fun and finding all the hidden pop culture references (of which there are many) is a great addition.

Would I recommend it? Well, it’s on the cover of the magazine right, your answer is yes I would recommend it.

Pros

• Beautiful Handcrafted Environments with a cool style to them

• The soundtrack fits so well with the mood that they set

• Dialogue is witty and well delivered Compelling characters with different personalities. I’ve loved every one.

• Love the humour

Cons

• Lack of interactivity with items collected