Wuppo isn't the greatest game I've played all year, in fact it might not even make my top five for 2017. However, I would probably say that it was the most unique and memorable game I've played all year, and if a stranger asked me "if there's one recent game you'd recommend?" I would say Wuppo without hesitation. It's like you're trapped in a fancy steak restaurant/dimension for years, and you spend an eternity eating nothing but steaks: good ones, bad ones, extremely expensive fancy ones, saucy steaks, flavoursome steaks, limitless varieties. Don't get me wrong: there are plenty of excellent steaks to be had, definite 10/10 steaks by the dozen. But that's all there is: steaks, no other food items. However, Wuppo comes along, and it's like someone suddenly sneaks in with a perfectly ripe mango, and you're so shocked and surprised by the texture and the taste, it makes you reassess the very nature of food itself. You begin to question everything.
I must admit that my steak analogy was a bit absurd and unmanageable, and I considered ditching it, but in the context of this strange and disorderly game it feels reasonable and necessary. Unfortunately I must stop talking about steaks and begin my breakdown of the game itself which I think I'm subconsciously avoiding because it's such a difficult game to explain/describe, especially if I want to avoid spoilers.
In Wuppo, you control a cute little circular creature called a "wum." You live in the Wumhouse, with many other wums, and life is easy. But, like most protagonists, it isn't long before conflict arises and you become deeply embroiled in the strange happenings of this world. The world of Wuppo is inhabited by various races including Wums, Blussers, Splenhakkers, Fnakkers, and others with similarly peculiar names. From early on in the game you're allowed to roam freely and to meet the locals, to unravel the mystery of this world. Three things become apparent immediately:
Firstly, the screen is very busy with activity: wums are tirelessly wandering around, bustling to or from work, carrying out their daily tasks, and there are often hundreds of them onscreen at a time. This can become disconcerting as, in chaotic crowded areas, you can lose track of your own wum entirely.
Secondly, one is immediately impressed by the attention to detail and the internal consistency of the world. There are cities in Wuppo with their own infrastructure and tram networks. These cities are connected by a larger and faster train. There is currency within the game, which can buy tickets for the transport systems. Wums travelling between towns will buy their tickets from various outlets and then line up to get their tickets collected before climbing aboard the train.. but of course another group of janitor wums will first enter the carriages and vacuum up any mess (before the driver allows you or others aboard). There's no fast-travel or loading screens: one must simply ride the train, perhaps chatting with other commuters to pass the time. There's also a theme park in the game, complete with rides and (like all theme parks) long lines and ticket booths. If you wish to ride the Ferris wheel, you have to literally stand in a line for as long as it takes, watching all the other wums and blussers take their turn before you.
Thirdly, and most crucially, you realise that hats are a core part of the Wuppo experience. Perhaps "headwear" is a more fitting term, as the items on your head are rarely actual fitted hats: there are countless items which can be collected or purchased and every single one of them can be worn as a hat. You can wear things on your head to disguise yourself, to give special abilities, instruments, light sources, weapons, or even other characters/NPCs can be worn on your head, just to name a couple. There's a tutorial-parrot which can sit atop your head and give you useful (more often useless) information concerning your surroundings.
I've described a tiny slice of the game, but I've hardly scratched the surface so I'll try to break it down into core elements. To give it a fancy label, I'd say it's a narrative-driven exploration-platformer with twin-stick shooter, puzzle and simulation elements. Yes, there's a lot of gameplay within the experience: your wum can double-jum and gain abilities and hats, which will unlock deeper areas/regions (like a metroidvania), with various puzzle/platforming sections. Your wum can also acquire liquid-blob-shooting weapons, allowing for twin-stick shooter sections and some really surreal and impressive boss fights (both controller and kb/m controls are great). Sometimes you're looking for certain places, NPCs, fetching items or doing quests, and it begins to feel like an RPG. The world of Wuppo is so gigantic and packed with strange and beautiful things that you're unlikely to see or notice even half of what's going on during your first playthrough. This is all great stuff, but honestly I think I spent the bulk of my time in Wuppo simply exploring this simulated world, observing in silent awe, talking to the locals, watching the scenery flow past the window of the train, digging deeper to try to piece together the history of this mysterious place, becoming immersed. And it seems a bit silly to talk about immersion, given that the game looks like it was drawn by a 5 year old with crayons. I haven't even discussed the visuals, let alone the soundtrack (another shining feather in this game's cap, composed with equal weirdness, and performed by some clearly talented musicians).
Regardless, as your brave wum travels further and learns more about the peculiar world outside of the Wumhouse, one begins to realise that this world isn't as simple and cute as it originally appeared, and that there's much more going on beneath the surface. I won't try to unpack the lore, but the story is intelligent, captivating and profound; you explore some genuinely deep philosophical territory, as well as questions about humanity, society and the self. But none of this is overt: it all bubbles beneath the surface, unobtrusively prodding at your brain-strings.
Wuppo cannot be described, it must simply be played. Step outside of the steak dimension and try a mango. I would recommend this above all else for this year: there's something in Wuppo that anyone can love and relate to, because we are all the lowly wum looking for meaning in our disorganised and baffling world.
