Paper io 2

Genre: Arcade

Players: 1-8 Competitive (Local Split-Screen)

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Review:

(Note: Included in Hole io & Paper io 2 bundle, along with Hole io.)

The Paper io series started out on mobile devices in 2016 on mobile devices, with the second game in the series following on mobile devices in 2018, with a port coming to Nintendo Switch in 2023. This game takes the Arcade-style gameplay of the classic game Qix and turns it into a competitive multiplayer game, with players trying to draw lines to grow their territory without other players drawing over their line in progress.

The presentation here is pretty unassuming, using simple 3D visuals to depict players’ cursors as cubes, with their trails being drawn on the flat ground behind them, with their territory depicted as a flat color or a pattern, depending on their cosmetic selection. This action is backed by an energetic (but very repetitive) synthesized theme. All in all, it’s nothing special, but it works well enough for the gameplay.

The gameplay here works well enough, though the constant motion forward can make your movement feel a bit unwieldy at times using your path to connect back to your territory will claim the connected area as your own, and opponents who touch your path before you can complete it will send you to a game over screen. There are also power-ups you can snag along the way that can shield you, improve your viewing area, or give you temporary invincibility.

In single-player mode, players compete against an endlessly-spawning group of AI opponents. These enemies aren’t too bright, but they’re enough of a threat to ensure that players who venture out a bit too far from their territory need to be cautious. Single-player mode lets players build up coins that can either be used to unlock cosmetics or permanently upgrade their power-ups, and the game has players going through various maps based on the countries of the world. However, the meat of the game here seems to be the multiplayer, and here Paper io 2 supports a full 8 players, which makes for some wonderful, chaotic fun.

Either way, the simple gameplay of Paper io 2 is surprisingly compelling, constantly tempting players to come back for “just one more run”. The only problem? There’s not much in the way of options or variety here. Pretty much the only factors you can change are the map shape and your own cosmetics. That’s it.

Still, it’s hard to complain too much when this game sells for a mere $5. At that price, given the strong multiplayer potential this game has, Paper io 2 is definitely well worth trying out for anyone looking for a fun multiplayer Arcade-style game to throw down in.

tl;dr – Paper io 2 is an Arcade-style game where players draw lines to expand their territory while trying to avoid other players touching their line before it’s completed. The simple gameplay is surprisingly compelling, and there’s a lot of good multiplayer potential here. It’s a shame this game doesn’t have more options or game modes, but with a $5 price tag, this makes for an easy game to pick up for anyone looking for a fun time-waster.

Grade: B-

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