I’ve often felt that we need a new word for this kind of game, because “Game” doesn’t exactly feel right. I don’t mean that as an insult. I’m not interested in gatekeeping what is and isn’t a “real game”. But the word “game” implies a lot of things that aren’t really true of Maquette, Maquette is closer to interactive poetry than it is to a traditional video game.
That's both a strength and a weakness. I've played lots of games like Maquette and just like poetry, you either get it and it hits you hard, or you don’t and it’s just boring and or confusing. Enjoyment of games like this is highly personal; it's as much about what you bring to it as it is about the game itself.
Maquette is technically a puzzle game centered around a size changing mechanic, but primarily it’s the story of a relationship from beginning to end told through a blend of voice over, illustrations, music, and extremely allegorical visuals. If you’ve ever been in a long term relationship that went sour then this game could be extremely affecting for you, causing a lot of personal reflection and thinking about your own life.
For me the game was so close to my own experiences that at times I felt I would have written the game myself. I loved it, but I loved it because I brought my own experiences to it and if you don’t have those same experiences then the game simply will not land in the same way.
That's not to say there's no value if you “don’t get it”. The game's surreal visuals are quite appealing and have a dreamlike quality that few games have managed to capture. Some of the puzzles are real thinkers and require a full understanding of the game's mechanics to conquer, there's more “game” in Maquette than a typical Interactive poem and the soundtrack is excellent all on its own.
For me the whole thing was a 4 star experience, but this is exactly the kind of game where a star rating is entirely unhelpful, if someone else finds it boring and tedious then I can completely understand that, by design it’s not a game that will work for everyone.
If you don’t find anything there for you, then it’s just another easy 1000g for the backburner. No shame, I’ve got plenty of those myself.
4.0