Hidden Gem: Whateverland

Although I usually love the idea of point-and-click games, I oftentimes end up pretty bored or craving more action, and no matter how good the story, it never seems to be enough to get me through the titles. This was true until I accompanied my wife on her journey to review the charming point-and-click adventure Whateverland.

As a fan of all spooky and Halloween things, the first thing that caught my attention was the Tim Burton-esque style of the title and the great (and rather quirky!) music... but what made me stay? Everything. Including the game's "flaws".

In Whateverland, you play as Vincent — a petty thief who attempts to steal from an old lady who turns out to be a very powerful witch named Beatrice. As punishment for what he did, she sends him off to this crazy world full of criminals, bad people, and "freaks". Once there, you'll begin your journey to summon her back in hopes of being able to return to reality once more. Throughout the game, you'll also be paired up with the deuteragonist, Nick — a writer who helps you find all the pieces of the spell you need to get in contact with the witch. 

I'm going to be bluntly honest: whilst I am a true lover of games and wish from the bottom of my heart that I could enjoy every title I come across, I tend to abandon many of them despite my bordering gaming addiction. And whilst the game seemed so charming, I had a bad feeling this was one of the many stories I'd never see to completion. 

Thankfully, I was dead wrong. Even some of the things that usually drive me away from games — such as amateur voice acting — were incredibly charming to me! I grew to love Vincent's monotonous tone until it felt like the warm embrace of home, and there's no way for me to describe how fond I grew of Nick's! Heck, even Harold's hilarious old-man voice was endearing.

I have no doubt that the love I have for these things is — in huge part — for the phenomenal cast of characters. It's been too long since I last remember giggling — and at times, even fully guffawing — at characters due to their witty dialogue or personality. Whateverland excels in this area in a way I could scarcely have fathomed upon booting up the game: the cast is nothing short of perfect. They are hilarious, inventive, adorable, and incredibly annoying all in one go! To accompany said colourful characters is a phenomenally quirky theme that is hard to miss. This all makes it a nearly perfectly smooth ride from beginning to end.

But don't worry: the game doesn't just have good characters and hilarious stories. You'll also spend your time solving puzzles that feel both challenging and creative, and — depending on whether you go the route of selfishness or good — you'll get a different ending. The best part is that the game changes quite drastically in both playstyle and ending dialogue depending on what you decide to do, so if you love the game enough, you can extend its life playing both.

At the end of the game, I felt something I hadn't in a while: I wished I could replay the game from scratch. There are few things in life more rewarding than that feeling of accomplishment yet nostalgia when you finish a great game.

If you're into point-and-click adventures, dark humour, and phenomenal puzzles... well, I don't see why you shouldn't give Whateverland a try.