Cinco Paus

If you're a fan of Brough's other games, this review was likely a pointless exercise. You already bought Cinco Paus. I can see it on your home screen. Put on some pants, friend. Similarly, if you've been turned off by his games in the past, I'm not sure anything I've said here will convince you that this is your magic moment.

As a fan of Brough's other games, I think Cinco Paus is another great hidden gem from him that I'm happy to have in my collection. The distinctive art style makes me think of obscure adult swim cartoons, and I think the experimental approach with Portuguese is a fascinating perspective on language barriers in games. The gameplay itself is easy to pick up and learn after a few tries, and I enjoy the fact that each staff has a new set of properties in each game.

Cinco Paus's unstinting faith in player curiosity and ingenuity, along with the game's rich interactive systems and perpetually fresh uncertainties make it an instant classic. Despite all these merits, it is regrettably necessary to qualify the heaps of praise. Cinco Paus is a perfect specimen of a rare type, and while it demands much of its players and cannot be universally recommended, it gives as good as it gets.