Considerable amounts of well-known horror games surprisingly originate from the role playing game (RPG) Maker software. Developers can take this program and craft terror from an entirely different genre. However, these games often end up restricted by their gameplay and fail to deliver a terrifying experience. Lackluster precedents do not mean certain styles cannot produce a satisfying product, though. For example, “Paper Lily: Chapter 1” crafts a frightening experience with satisfying exploration-based gameplay while sticking to its self-described “horror RPG” style.
Whereas most RPG Maker horror games infamously suffer from tedious & infuriating trial-and-error mechanics, “Paper Lily” enhances this gameplay style by making it about exploration rather than horror and harsh punishments for failure. Progression rarely restricts itself to one set path; puzzles usually feature multiple solutions, routes can suddenly open and close and consequences mostly involve losing access to a new path instead of a game over. It forces the player to think carefully and logically, since every choice could carry consequences, without drawing their ire.
This lack of severe consequences helps the game encourage the player to explore everything. One will almost always obtain seemingly unnecessary items, and the game inevitably leaves the player with several questions about things they missed out on when they reach the end of the game. These two elements draw out one’s curiosity and inspire them to replay the game and find new paths and events. These repeat playthroughs usually net a reward, whether it comes from entirely new sections or other secrets.
When the game does punish the player for their choices with a game over, it never feels cheap. The bad endings one encounters during a typical playthrough always feature a logical throughline explaining why things go awry. For example, an early-game section features an easily discoverable bad ending that initially seems like the game tried to fool the player. However, the ending only occurs if one neglects details. The game does not hide any information, as the dialogue gestures slightly towards what one must do to solve the puzzle. The player only needs to give situations some thought to avoid these fatal ends.
The horror elements of “Paper Lily” do not always hold quality on par with the exploration, however. Every terrifying moment runs counter to a handful of goofy scares, some jumpscares fail to frighten and some moments veer away from scariness and towards uncomfortable and sudden edginess. The game also frequently dampens the shock of a sudden game over with a screen that feels like the developers googled various horror-related terms and downloaded the first result. It’s an experience of extreme highs and lows, but thankfully the better moments far outweigh the worse parts in quality and quantity. Additionally, these scary moments are some of the most bone-chilling in the entire genre due to their ability to shock without tropes like loud noises.
“Paper Lily” also breaks away from the typical RPG Maker format by excellently developing its presentation and mechanics. While the menus and textboxes feel typical of RPG Maker projects, little details like the smoothness in character movement, the brief but uniquely
presented tutorials and surprising shifts in gameplay that will not be spoiled in this review constantly showcase the level of time, care and quality that the developers exhibited towards this game while creating it. Not every mechanic works- using items feels frighteningly uncomfortable- but none of the unfavorable ones severely detract from the presentation or experience.
All in all, I give “Paper Lily: Chapter 1” an 8/10 and highly recommend it- if you can handle the serious topics the game touches on- especially since it’s currently free! Just remember to consider supporting the developers if you can.
