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Genre: Adventure Developer & Publisher: Amanita Design Released: May 20, 2026 Requirements: OS: Windows 7 or higher Processor: 2 Ghtz Core i5 or better Memory: 4 MB RAM Graphics: DirectX 11 compatible GPU Storage: 15 GB available space
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Genre: Adventure Developer & Publisher: Amanita Design Released: May 20, 2026 Requirements: OS: Windows 7 or higher Processor: 2 Ghtz Core i5 or better Memory: 4 MB RAM Graphics: DirectX 11 compatible GPU Storage: 15 GB available space
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By flotsam Phonopolis Amanita Design Set in a glorious hand-painted 3D world constructed from cardboard, Phonopolis is 4 to 6 hours of joyful point-and-click adventuring. Loosely inspired by the works of Karel Čapek and George Orwell, life in the city of Phonopolis is controlled by the blaring tones of the everywhere-present loudspeakers. The Leader commands, and is working towards the production of his Grand Tone, one which when heard will make the populace mindlessly subservient forever. A set of headphones enables Felix to hear his own thoughts and discern the danger, and it is therefore he who must try and put an end to it. A whole city stands in his way. It’s a long way, figuratively and literally, from the lowly world of a dustman to the Avant-Garde very top of things. He isn’t completely alone. Three elders, musicians who have been cast down but still remember a time before, guide him now and then, and a damsel named Ráchel looms large. The city and the places within it are a visual treat. Muted colours accentuate the cardboard aesthetic, and the off-beat design adds to both the general playfulness as well as the shady undertones. However jaunty a number of the animations might be, their construction never lets you forget they are the product of oppression and control. Little touches like the posters you might examine, and the colours used in different places enhance that tone. Many scenes are a cacophony of detail, especially external views of Phonopolis. Cutscenes abound, and a largely isometric perspective adds depth. Dream sequences are visually different again, black and white and chalky, providing yet another visual layer. The soundtrack is equally striking, eclectically underpinning Felix’s endeavours. It knows when not to be there, and is all the more effective as a result. Ambient sound abounds, and unlike many (maybe all?) Amanita games, there is spoken word. Felix narrates his efforts, and other characters might converse with him or voice their own thoughts. Puzzles abound, and while there was a tad bit much trial and error for my liking (it exists by design rather than misadventure) they are a pleasing blend of types and style. Some involve humorous animations, in which you find yourself pulling and pushing and turning things to see what each does and then putting the pieces together to unearth and then achieve an objective. Others are little mini-puzzles, where you might redirect laser beams or direct Felix through a series of panels by pushing the appropriate buttons. A few involve obtaining and then using an inventory item, although you will only ever have one item at a time. Most of them are engagingly creative. Even with the trial and error I liked that lateral leaps of opaque logic weren’t required. Winkle and fiddle enough, and what the puzzle wants from you should be discernible. Only one did I think verged on being a dud, but that might have said more about me than the puzzle. Everything is done with the mouse, either left click or hold and drag (e.g., to pull on ropes or rotate handles). The curser will react to hotspots, being interact or look, little feet will indicate where you You can walk and a separate icon will indicate exits. You can’t highlight hotspots, but little ‘bullseyes’ will assist, and if you turn on ‘adaptive hints’ in the options menu Felix will give you a nudge if you haven’t moved forward after a certain period of time. It exclusively and frequently autosaves (the large megaphone bottom right will tell you when) but not generally within a puzzle, so if you quit mid-stream you will have to start it again. Choose continue to pick up at the last save, or choose any earlier scene as the starting point. The ending is particularly good, and the short ‘making of’ video in the menu is worth a watch. All up, Phonopolis is a poignant, thoughtful and ultimately joyous bit of adventuring. I played on: OS: Windows 11, 64 Bit Processor: Intel i7-9700K 3.7GHz RAM: Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR4 32GB Video card: AMD Radeon RX 580 8192MB
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