Paper Cut Mansion is one of the most unique and entertaining roguelikes I’ve played in years.
It’s clear from the outset that Papercraft Mansion wears its hodgepodge of influences on its sleeve. A roguelike dungeon crawler crossed with an adventure game, wrapped in a beguiling aesthetic that looks like the lovechild of Tearaway and A Nightmare Before Christmas.
The setup is simple. On a dark and stormy night, a papercraft PI soon finds himself trapped within the labyrinthine confines of the sinister estate. Why he’s there, and why he can’t leave. Well, that’s for you to figure out.
But escaping the mansion won’t be easy, as you need to solve puzzles, navigate each maze-like level, and shoot anything that gets in your way.
Since it’s a Roguelike, each floor in Papercut Mansion is different every time you play. As you would expect, it takes several runs to acquire enough power-ups and permanent upgrades to be strong enough to make it through to the credits and uncover all the mysteries lurking within Papercut Mansion. However, what sets it aside from other roguelikes is the myriad of activities you participate in during each run. Rather than just shooting your way through each floor, you need to hop between different dimensions, solve puzzles, defeat foes, find keys and complete simple side quests to make it to the next trap door.
Accompanying the brain-twisting puzzles and simple yet satisfying combat is a great story filled with weird and wonderful characters. Told via a mixture of environmental details, missions, and a catchy song between each stage (I shit you not), Papercut Mansion is worth investing a couple of evenings in to get to the bottom of what’s gone on in the mansion and why our papery detective is there in the first place.
The most striking thing about Papercraft Mansion is its presentation which mixes classic survival horror tropes with an arts and crafts aesthetic that is as striking as it is unsettling. Watching it in motion is a feast for the eyes. Likewise, the sound design only heightens the experience as some great music combines with fantastic environmental audio. I’m not too proud to say it made me jump on more than one occasion.
With great gameplay, fantastic puzzles, a unique and striking art style, and an intriguing mystery to solve, Papercut Mansion is one estate you’ll want to take a trip to. Just beware, you may never leave.
