Griffine’s surprise co-op platformer POPUCOM blends color-coded puzzles, quirky tools, and buddy-based gameplay into one of the year’s most creative couch hits.
Hypergryph isn’t exactly a well-known name in the gaming world—at least not yet. But with POPUCOM, this small developer may have just given co-op fans a sneak peek at a future cult classic. Paper Kom is a fun cooperative platformer with a fresh new twist. It’s a crazy mix of different genres, with elements of Astro Bot, Bust-a-Move, and It Takes Two.
Not much was said about it before it came out, but once the story mode is over, it’s hard not to wonder how this one got missed. The first part of your journey takes you through space and time to the bright planet of Pancake.
Yoki, a cute robot in the shape of an egg, greets you and gives you a serious message: the world is being taken over by color-coded pests called Pomus, who were sent by a scary space creature. To save Pancake, you have to collect Goodiebots, which are small helper robots, so you can make a mega missile that can stop the threat.
There’s a simple idea behind the game that works so well that it makes you want to go to the next level with your weapon and co-op partner. It’s clear that the world was made for fun rather than story depth, but that works out well for the game. It’s not a book; it’s a playground.
The game loop is based on picking stages from a world map and using your ship to jump from easier to harder areas. You can get new stages, skins, and more Goodiebots to save every time you beat a level. The more bots you get, the closer you get to that big rocket, and the more fun it is to look in every corner for hidden stickers or extra items.
The rainbow blaster is your main weapon, and it’s just as crazy as it sounds. This isn’t your average pea shooter because each character can use two kinds of pea shooters. If you hit three Pomus of the same color at the same time, they’ll be neutralized.
If you want to really work together in POPUCOM, you need your partner. Some enemies can only be defeated with a combo of both players’ colors. This makes it important to talk to each other all the time, time your attacks, and sometimes cause chaos with friendly fire.
In addition to the blaster, POPUCOM gives you a growing set of “super artifacts” that are meant to turn cooperative chaos into successful coordination. There’s a shield that can be used as a platform, a morph ball that works like Metroid and breaks down walls, Captain Kitty, who can help you lift heavy things or pull enemy helmets off, and a bot that lets you swap items far away or pull them toward you.
You have to use both your reflexes and your strategy at the same time when switching between these tools in real-time. It’s the kind of system that seems silly at first but gets smarter and more difficult as you study it.
It might sound simple, but the color-matching combat is actually very well done. Imagine Bust-a-Move as a shooter where Pomus is coming at you quickly, and you can only avoid failure by matching colors perfectly. It moves quickly and is surprisingly tactical.
You are encouraged to try new things in the game. For example, you can use your shield to defend yourself and to reach higher ground, the morph ball to open up secret passages, or throw objects with your bot partner to solve Rube Goldberg-style puzzles.
Most of the puzzles need two people to work on them, which is what makes them fun. You never just flip a switch while your friend waits; you both solve problems, shoot things, build things, or freak out at the same time.
Having said that, not everything works out. Some of the later boss fights are boring because they use early ideas again and again with only small changes. There aren’t enough boss fights that really stand out, but when they do, they really do.
Also, the different kinds of enemies could use some more spice. A lot of the same types of Pomus will show up in more than one level, but their armor will be stronger, or their attacks will be different. In the traditional sense, POPUCOM doesn’t grind XP. Instead, how far you get depends on how many Goodiebots you get and how many levels you beat.
Gems are used to buy cosmetics at your base’s shop, which is run by the naughty Gamble. You get them by completing levels. You can also earn a secondary currency in Party Mode, but POPUCOM thankfully stays away from the money-making trap. In the store, you can only buy a few cosmetic items that you don’t have to. Everything else you can get just by playing.
In that way, it’s nice to have something old-fashioned. There is a real sense of reward every time you get new cosmetics in the closet. When you get new hats, suits, or other weird gear, you can make your character stand out, even if your friend is busy making their character look like a waffle iron.
It works that POPUCOM goes all out with its candy-coated look. The environments are very different and beautifully animated. Each stage is full of life, from bouncy cloud cities to neon dance floors. The designs of the characters are funny and silly without being too childish. And yet, it works. It’s like someone mixed Fall Guys, Astro Bot, and a box of gummy worms together.
Smooth animations give every enemy personality, no matter how small they are. Anytime you see something moving, like a pomus wobbling toward you or Captain Kitty reaching out to grab a helmet, it’s satisfying and helpful.
The music matches the graphics with upbeat, funk music that changes with each level. If you’re shooting Pomus on a planet made of lava or riding a huge record player, the music fits the scene and doesn’t stay too long. The sound effects are clean, cartoony, and clear enough to let you know when puzzle feedback or threats are coming.
But some of the arcade mini-games have sound designs that aren’t very good or are annoying. One exception is the Ikaruga-style shooter mini-game in the main arcade. Its intense graphics and loud music really make you feel like you’re in bullet hell. It’s too bad that the volleyball mini-game is so bad. It should have stayed locked on that one.
It’s easy to get caught off guard by POPUCOM. It starts out as a cute, color-coded platformer, but it quickly turns out to be a well-thought-out co-op puzzle adventure that is full of creative ideas. The mix of genres never sounds like it was copied from somewhere else; it’s a heartfelt mashup that finds its own voice.
The level design is by far POPUCOM‘s best feature. There are fun tricks and challenges at each stage that make you and your partner think about things in new ways. As you move around on DDR pads, carry wind-up toys, or solve platform puzzles in the air, something new is always around the corner.
Some bosses could use some work, and not every arcade game is a hit, but these are small complaints compared to the creative core gameplay and genuine sense of fun. Hypergryph may not be a well-known name yet, but if POPUCOM is their first shot, it’s something to be proud of.
The game can be played for about 11 hours, which is just long enough to feel satisfying but not too long that it gets old. This trip to Planet Pancake is fun for everyone, whether you want to find every Goodiebot or just have a good time with your friends on the weekend.
