BLANC
Developer Casus Ludi Publisher Gearbox Publishing Format PC, Switch Release February 2023
Had we been asked to guess the publisher of this co-op adventure halfway through its debut trailer, we’d have gone through a fairly long list of names before stumbling across the right answer. It does, admittedly, share a handmade aesthetic with Gearbox’s most successful series, though this wintry wonderland has been drawn in pencil – all expressive lines for its characters and soft shading for its pillowy snow. Casus Ludi’s game promises “an emotional tale” about a wolf cub and a fawn, both separated from their respective families. The unlikely friends are forced to co-operate to get by, in puzzles that look familiar – the cub can squeeze through narrow spaces, while the fawn can jump to high ledges, or boost its pal up by lowering its neck and letting the wolf climb on its back – but should be lifted by a considerable helping of cutesy charm.