Poco is a 2D / 3D hybrid point and click adventure game, released on May 20th, 2025 by Whalefall. It features the story of Poco, an adorably tiny clown who gets banished from a giant walking circus. Poco gets dropped (literally) into a new world below and their objective is to explore and find a way back up to the circus.
Unlike most 2D/3D hybrids, rather than having two-dimensional characters and a 3D background like in Paper Mario, Poco consists of colorfully detailed 2D backgrounds with three-dimensional characters moving about. This formatting makes the game unique in the category, combining simpler 3D animated characters on a more complex and vibrant 2D background.
The soundtrack is probably one of the best parts, being able to create an environment in the game that shows both the whimsical yet dark side of the world around it. Hearing the soundtrack while walking through an unfamiliar world of undergrowth was eerily comforting. The soundtrack is made up of 17 nature themed clowncore and synth styled music pieces with a dark and woeful undertone to it.
Although the character design in the game is mostly simple, the story behind their designs makes up for it. Each character Poco meets in the undergrowth is based off of one of the five senses and the reason behind their designs connect with their ‘creator’ which some of the characters briefly mention in their dialog. At first glance, this game seems like an average adventure and puzzle game where the player has to get from point a to point b with a multitude of missions and puzzles in between. In truth, Poco has a lot more to its story than just a tiny clown trying to go back to their circus. There are little secrets in the background of the game that you can click on and it quickly pops out a red symbol and the object disappears from the background, though as of now, not many people know what it means yet. There are also collectable pieces of paper hidden in the background that when collected all together, reveals a piece of game lore. Even though this game seems simple and innocent, the details and extra things included in the game makes the game seem more dark than it wants to make it out to be. There is dark humor scattered throughout the dialog and small connotations of something darker going on in the world. Though it isn’t directly stated, there are details in the background and dialog of npcs that show a conflict of sorts between those that live in the ‘sky’ (like the clowns) and those that live on the ground in the undergrowth and in a way, the game reflects how the real world is now, with the working class being upset at the government and the rich.
This game touches on the subject of death, family, and relationships as well, revealing problems between characters as Poco tries to help everyone. It’s a contrast to the joyful and childish visuals and cute characters and that makes the game even more endearing to play through with how melancholy and unpredictable the game can be. The full game is free to play on Steam and should be a quick 3 hour play through. Even though the game is free, the game has cutscenes and art that feel like a game that should cost money. If you like adventure puzzle games and clowncore, Poco should definitely be given a chance.
