Once Upon A Puppet – Theatrical fantasy world blends platforming and puzzling

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• DEVELOPER: Flatter Than Earth
• PUBLISHER: Daedalic Entertainment
• PLATFORMS: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5
• GENRE: Puzzle / Platformer
• RELEASE DATE: April 23, 2025
• STARTING PRICE: 24,99€
• REVIEWED VERSION: PC

Once Upon a Puppet is a 2.5D puzzle-platformer set in a theatrical fantasy world. You control Nieve, a floating stagehand, and Drev, a wooden puppet, simultaneously bound by a magical thread. Using the controller’s left and right analog sticks, you navigate the Understage, jumping on different platforms, solving puzzles and exploring to confront a mad king and uncover the mystery of Stagefright.

Polished art style and graphics, but gameplay is light

There’s an underlying feeling that Once Upon a Puppet is just another generic platformer, and that’s not wrong. While it boasts incredible graphics with aesthetics reminiscent of Little Nightmares, Puppeteer, and Tim Burton’s claymation, and environments that resemble handcrafted stage sets with dramatic lighting, the gameplay itself isn’t particularly special. Controlling two characters is handled in the simplest way, with one fulfilling the other’s needs. The second half of the game also leans heavily on familiar mechanics.

“There’s an underlying feeling that Once Upon a Puppet is just another generic platformer.”

Character designs are charmingly bizarre too, and collectible costumes add visual flair tied to Drev’s past. The voice acting feels like a story being told, and the soundtrack is solid. While the start is strong, the game loses its charm as you progress. There’s no combat; you simply move through the Understage’s varied scenery, gaining slight gameplay upgrades like double jumps, a bow and arrow, or the ability to hitch onto ice.

Despite a few bugs like enemies getting stuck or Drev and Nieve clipping through the objects, the game is quite polished. However, Once Upon a Puppet lacks challenging puzzles and gameplay, keeping things straightforward. Exploration is light, mainly for finding collectibles like paintings or glass shards. Don’t worry about missing anything; a robust chapter select with multiple checkpoints makes finding collectibles easy.

Platforming is the game’s weakest link

As mentioned, the puppeteering system is the standout feature. It allows you to catapult Drev across gaps, pull heavy objects, or swing from hooks. For example, Nieve can tug Drev mid-jump to extend his reach, or Drev can stand on a switch while Nieve activates a lever. These mechanics, clearly inspired by games like Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, are good enough, but they aren’t perfect. Controls can feel clunky due to wonky movement, often leading you to fall down, especially with the shifting camera.

In all honesty, the camera movement is great when it’s not centered around platforming, brilliantly changing perspective during dramatic scenes like running from falling objects or simply moving through the world. On the other side, puzzles are decent, requiring Nieve and Drev to work together to manipulate the environment. These are accessible for casual players, though some are overly simple or rely on trial-and-error.

“Puzzles are decent, requiring Nieve and Drev to work together to manipulate the environment.”

Platforming, however, is the game’s weakest link. The 2.5D perspective really makes it feel like you’re far away from action, and the camera can be erratic, zooming out too far or misaligning in crucial moments. This is especially frustrating in the third act’s sudden difficulty spike, where precise platforming and instant-death enemies appear. Combat is just silly: you can’t get close to enemies without being killed, though you’ll later gain the ability to burn them with a flashlight.

Solid platformer that won’t disappoint, but expect some jank

The world-building in Once Upon a Puppet is fantastic; it’s genuinely surprising how the developers crafted such a compact world. You’ll find plenty of characters to talk with, often in silly places. You can also solve “side-quests” that mainly unlock collectibles, but you’re free to skip them. Ultimately, the game rarely pushes you to truly test your skills with all the tools you acquire.

In the end, the lack of bosses feels like a massive missed opportunity; it’s hard to imagine a platformer without them. I had a similar feeling with Ruffy at the Riverside, though that game focused more on exploration and collecting. Either way, I think Once Upon a Puppet will attract fans of the genre, but don’t expect a stress-free experience. It’s a proper passion project strong in visuals, art style, and voice acting, but it just doesn’t stick with you.

Review copy provided by the publisher