Paper Planes is a simple game where you are placed in control of a.., well, a paper plane. You use it to fly through a drab landscape as you explore and unlock various puzzles. Every time you unlock something, you slowly change the drab landscape around you. By flying close to certain “sparkling” objects, you alter something in the fabric of land and give life to various items once again.

The game was created by ENJMIN from France. It won the IGF 2011 Student Showcase Prize thanks to its amazing graphics and interesting gameplay.

Give it a go and prepare yourself for a bit of a challenge and a trip back to your own childhood memories. It’s a fun game to try out. 

Even though most of the time, games with innovative designs and out-of-the box gameplay get the most attention and often spell “fun” to most people; there are times when simple games still manage to impress. Take Paper Planes for instance.

In the game, you control a small little airplane and your task is to bring back life to a desolate land by unlocking the many wonderful memories trapped within specific items or areas.

After leaving the treehouse, your task is to look for all the lost memories within a particular area. You’ll know them because they’ll show up slightly beaming and sparkling in the desolate landscape. Flying through these sparkly areas allows you to unlock the memories that are trapped within. For instance, when you fly through the chains of a swing; immediately a tree sprouts from the ground. Go around the tree and it comes alive with color.

As you continue to explore and look for the many “hidden memories” in the area, you slowly bring it back alive and fill it with life and color. It’s this simple goal that makes the game quite appealing.

Visually, the game is quite stunning. It’s done in 3d and showcases a vast area which you can explore. It’s this big space that gives players a sense of adventure. Of course, the game isn’t perfect.

Perhaps one of the biggest problems with the game is that’s quite difficult to steer the plane without the Xbox controller. Normal keyboard controls don’t work so easily…

Overall, the game is quite interesting. Just exploring the vast landscape and seeing the wonderful graphics makes this game enjoyable enough to play.

Related Links:

Paper Place Official Website
Paper Plane on IGF
Paper Planes on IndieGames Channel
Paper Planes on PlayThisThing