A Fold Apart (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mobile)

A couple in a relationship are about to be presented with a challenge.  When one of them takes a job in a different city, they must deal with having a long-distance relationship and the difficulties that ensue with that.  You’re along in this tumultuous ride in this puzzler game.  You must get one of the people in this relationship from point A to point B, and everything is presented on pieces of paper.  You have the power to fold the paper to provide platforms and useful passages to help bring the couple together in A Fold Apart.  It’s available to download on current game consoles (some coming soon), PC, and mobile, but reviewed on Switch here.

In the story, you move one of the characters from left to right as they talk or text with the other one.  At certain points, they’ll walk into a piece of paper, and you must figure out how to get them to the other side, or to a star.  To do this you can fold the paper using the right analog stick.  This may bring platforms on the other side of the paper closer to you, among other things.

As you progress, the game will gradually introduce new concepts to you.  You’ll first be able to fold paper on the left and right, and then up and down.  Later you can even fold corners and flip the paper around!  Other things to watch out for are blocks you can use like stepping stones but are affected by gravity, and platforms that disappear after being folded.  It can be hard to wrap your head around sometimes, but luckily there is a hint system that you can use at any time and it doesn’t penalize you when using it.  It’s a godsend!

The game does have a few problems, though.  One, it’s awfully short.  Granted, I did use the hint system a few times, but I was still able to finish it in a few sittings.  The other problem I had was more of a personal preference.   I could’ve done without the melodramatic story. Sure it’s touching at times, but it really slows the game down.  The characters are usually sad and just plod along slowly.  At one point one character texts the other one, and the other character just texts back that they’re out with friends and will text later, but then you see them in the bed alone texting that!  Yikes!  It’s like watching an episode of 90 Day Fiancé!  Honestly I’d rather just have a cute doodle on a piece of origami paper trying to get from place to place.  Sometimes less is more.

Kid Factor:

Nothing violent here.  The game could be considered slightly educational as it enforces concepts like logic and spatial relations.  It could be stretching it, but the game could be considered educational in a different light, as it can show you how text messages can be interpreted in different ways and how people might react to them.  At the beginning of the game, you can choose what kind of couple you want to play as.  There is a male and female couple, but also a selection of more androgynous characters.  Depending on your parental beliefs, you may want to wait on letting a kid play this until they are ready for that kind of discussion, or not let them play it at all.  A Fold Apart is rated E for Everyone.

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