Itching for That Nintendo 64 Era of Platforming? Be Sure To Check Out ‘PaperKlay’ and Soak in the Vibes

Passion projects are some of my favorite things in the world. Seeing someone so dedicated to a specific subject, tirelessly devoting their time to create something new? Priceless. PaperKlay, much like its inspirations, is one of the purest examples of a passion project. It has the vibes and feel of a game from the late ’90s, but springs to life with a beautiful aesthetic and plenty of love. Controlling Chick and Nugget is a joy, and I can’t believe this whole project was brought to life by just one talented developer. PaperKlay is nostalgic in all the right ways, while also feeling modern enough to keep players of every generation happy. It’s pure joy, packaged together in the most adorable way possible.

‘Paperklay’ Is a Solo Dev Project, and It Has the Heart and Soul of a Vintage Platformer

From the moment I started PaperKlay, I was already in love. The wonderful aesthetic, the music from Grant Kirkhope, and a beautifully rendered world that looked like something pulled out of the recesses of my imagination. It reminds me of playing with toys when I was younger, carefully crafting worlds out of crepe paper (which I just learned today isn’t called “Cray Paper”) and clay. It’s whimsical, magical, and all types of adorable. But most importantly of all? It’s very fun to play, with large worlds to explore and plenty of things to find and gather.

The nicest part about PaperKlay, at least in my eyes, is the ease of play. I could easily hand a controller to my mom, someone who has never played a video game in her life, and she would be able to enjoy it. Isn’t that what it’s all about at the end of the day? Plus, the soundtrack and voice acting for PaperKlay punch well above its weight. There’s some pretty significant voice talent on display here, with each character being lovingly represented. Rather than adopting mumble speak, like its apparent inspirations, every character is brought to life with some truly great dialogue.

Seriously, if you’ve been looking for something that feels exactly like those classic games you used to play as a kid? WhyKev has done a truly amazing job at bringing that feeling back to life with PaperKlay. I may need to try and find myself a USB Nintendo 64 controller. Just so that I can experience it exactly as it’s meant to be played.