Bite-sized Review:
PaperKlay

By Chris Picone, 29 May, 2025

PaperKlay is a lovely new 3d platformer that gave me strong Banjo Kazooie vibes, though I couldn't explain why. I haven't played BK for a couple of decades and I wouldn't say there's a lot of visual similarities. 

Aesthetics

PaperKlay's world is awesome. Whether you're roving through forests or deserts or wandering through little towns, everything is built from craft materials like paper, cardboard, paddlepop sticks, that sort of thing, and they look like they've been made using traditional art & craft techniques for a really great unique setting. Enemies are occasionally your normal sort of monsters but you'll occasionally face things like flying scissors that really fit in with the whole craft theme. The UI's spot on - simple and looks great - and there's also some fantastic little cutscenes to pull you through the story.  PaperKlay also features some prominent composers and strong voice acting so it sounds as good as it looks, a real quality production. 

Gameplay

PaperKlay plays out like any other 3d platformer; you zip around a relatively open world, collecting coins and other goodies, finding secret spots, and doing a bunch of side quests for quirky characters while you meander your way through the story.  The world is laid out in such a way that you feel invited to poke around and explore, and PaperKlay really utilises its third dimension; there's plenty of jumping and climbing and even aerial enemies.  Some of the side quests revolve around item collection, others combat, and some are races or even sorts of mini-puzzles so you feel like you're always doing something new, it never feels repetitive.  PaperKlay also makes the most of its modernity, seeing you double jumping, gliding, dashing, and punching your way through levels, though simple enough that only two buttons are needed.  Chicken and Nugget (the main characters) are great fun and you'll meet lots of other friends along the way. 

Verdict

PaperKlay looks great, sounds great, is full of loveable and interesting characters, and there's plenty to see and do.  It's a fantastic platformer that makes the most of its third dimension and is a perfect game for kids and families. 

Links: 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1350720/PaperKlay/