A Tale Of Paper: Refolded Review

Summary A Tale of Paper: Refolded is now on all major platforms, with dark atmosphere & unique transformations.

Story leaves much to imagination, with no text or voice direction.

Clever gameplay mechanics, variety of puzzles, engaging journey with reflective story.

A Tale of Paper: Refolded is now on all major gaming platforms, having just been released in its remastered version on the Nintendo Switch and PS5 on April 18, 2024. The unique puzzle experience has had a couple of releases in the past few years after its initial launch of A Tale of Paper on PS4 in 2020. This new Refolded edition of the game, by Indie developer Open House Games and publisher Digerati, has three new prequel chapters and another character with their own transformation abilities that were not found in the original title.

The release of A Tale of Paper: Refolded for Nintendo Switch and PS5 has been a long time coming following the 2022 release for PC and Xbox consoles. The puzzle-platformer tells an emotional story without the use of words, as players traverse the environment as a paper character, known as Line, who can change their shape in origami ways. It is a dark game, full of danger and puzzles, but yet provides a relaxing experience without any real penalty for death.

A Tale of Paper: Refolded 7 / 10 A Tale of Paper: Refolded is a mix of clever and mundane, but does enough to be a solid experience. Pros Clever gameplay mechanics

Good variety of puzzles

Engaging aesthetic Cons Story is a little too vague

Not particularly challenging or memorable in terms of its level and puzzle designs

The Story Of A Tale Of Paper Is Confusingly Beautiful

Much Is Left To The Imagination, And Wonder

Playing through A Tale of Paper: Refolded, there isn't much guidance on what is happening in the story and world, as the entire story is told without text or voice. Players take control of a magical paper humanoid-ish figure named Line and explore the environment while looking to gather more information. Small Line is about the size of a toy, as would be expected from an origami figure, in a seemingly abandoned, yet familiar, world for humans.

There are ultimately three times that the credits roll in the game with each conclusion feeling as though the game is over. Hanging in to the end of the credits will reveal that the game continues, however.

This Refolded edition of the game includes three prequel chapters which might help to provide a bit more information on the story for some, yet is somehow equally confusing. In these chapters, an obviously grieving human-sized paper figure is presented, without any explanation as to who they are or what is happening. The emotionally-charged narrative feels as though it has a deeper meaning to grasp, and seems intended as something to ponder long after the game ends.

To add to the confusion, there are ultimately three times that the credits roll in the game, with each conclusion feeling as though the game is over. Hanging in to the end of the credits will reveal that the game continues, however, with three different stories involving three different versions of Line to control.

Gameplay Mechanics For The Three Puzzle Game Sections

Simple To Learn, With Just The Right Amount Of Challenge

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A Tale of Paper: Refolded is a platformer that is filled with puzzles throughout much of the adventure, and culminates in a large boss battle that is challenging and offers a more traditional platformer style battle than was seen elsewhere in the game. The puzzles that are found throughout the journey are very well crafted, including a good variety of types, so that nothing feels repetitive, and often take advantage of many of the different transformations that Line can shift into.

Over the course of the game, the three different versions of Line are each able to learn different paper shape transformations, such as a frog or a bird, or even the less-impressive wadded ball of paper.

The small size of the characters, added to the fact that they are made of paper, presents dangerous challenges in the world with things such as massive spiders, water, heat, and the ever looming threat of Roomba vacuums. Over the course of the game, the three different versions of Line are each able to learn different paper shape transformations, such as a frog or a bird, or even the less-impressive wadded ball of paper. Each transformation has its own skills to help Line make its way through the strange, twisting adventure that developers are unraveling.

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Not Really Horror, But Definitely Creepy

A Tale Of Paper Has Plenty Of Darkness

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There is an overall feeling of darkness in A Tale of Paper which goes beyond the actual darkness of the visual presentation. Even in levels where there are no evil Roombas or oversized spiders chasing Line, the atmosphere has a sadly reflective aura. The darkened graphics certainly play a large part in adding to the sensation, and are combined with the abandoned and dirty spaces and the feel of loneliness that is communicated in Line's journey.

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With the endings of each of the three adventures, there is really never a feeling of success or gratification that arrives, with the first two providing a strange sense of loss and depressive feel, rather than hope or the joy of success. The final culmination of the narrative provides a sweeter resolution, although it still leaves many questions.

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Review Score & Final Thoughts

3.5/5 Stars

The journey that takes shape over the course of A Tale of Paper is a calming and reflective one, with a perfect amount of puzzles that each offer variety and just the right amount of challenge. The story is captivating, but leaves players wondering what happened and how Line came to be. The clever mechanics involving the seven paper transformations are used to just the right amount and offer a fun and unique game style.

Overall, the game is engaging and fun, and with it taking less than five hours for 100% completion, it also offers a great choice for those looking to get a quick PlayStation Platinum trophy. It can leave players with a pensive feeling at the games end, pondering many of the questions that are left unanswered at the conclusion of A Tale of Paper, but not necessarily in a negative way - other than, perhaps, the need to reevaluate having a Roomba.