Pan-Pan A Tiny Big Adventure

Genre: Puzzle

Players: 1

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Review:

Pan-Pan is a character-based Puzzle game released in 2016 on PC and ported to iOS and Nintendo Switch in 2017. This game puts players in the role of a passenger on a balloon-like aircraft that crashes, who must solve puzzles in the surrounding area to collect the parts needed to repair the machine.

This game’s presentation uses simple 3D visuals seen from an overhead isometric view, backed by a subdued atmospheric soundtrack. The result is something appealing in a minimalist sort of way, but in no way impressive.

When it comes to the gameplay, your character can move around, interact with some objects, and carry some objects, and that’s pretty much it. Using these simple controls, you’re meant to decipher the workings of various objects or devices you encounter, using that knowledge to explore the area further, eventually bringing back what you need for your aircraft.

This game has a few issues, however. It’s very hands-off when it comes to directing the player, and this becomes frustrating when the game doesn’t point out what is important and functional, and what is just decorative. I spent far too long moving vases on tiles that turned out to be decorative, all because the game didn’t signal to the player that these served no function. Another issue is that this game spaces things pretty far apart, and your walking speed is relatively slow, meaning you’ll waste a lot of time just walking from place to place.

Overall, Pan-Pan still has a simple charm to it that might make it enjoyable for a patient puzzle-solver looking for a game that has no intention of holding their hand. But I also feel like this game’s refusal to instruct the player and poor signposting can make this game too frustrating for players. In short, this is not a Puzzle game for everyone.

tl;dr – Pan-Pan is a character-based Puzzle game that has players searching the area around them for parts needed to repair their aircraft, solving puzzles as they go. This game has a simple charm and its refusal to hold players’ hands may delight some players, but I think plenty of others will be frustrated by its poor signposting and slow pacing. This isn’t a bad game, but it’s not for everyone.

Grade: C+

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