Review - Finding Polka

L. Sahara McGirt
10 hours ago
3 min read

Developer: lidlocks

Publisher: PARCO GAMES

Available on: PC (Steam)

Sometimes, after a long day of working, skill-building, and all the daily stuff we need to keep our bodies healthy, we need simple, relaxing, short games to help us chill out after a day well spent. Which is where walking simulators come in, offering a break and a chance to explore a created world without locking in and getting sweaty like some other genres demand. If you've been looking for a wholesome and relaxing game with plenty of surprises, Finding Polka is the game you'll want to play.

Let's Go on a Walk

The game starts out fairly simple: the player character, Friendy, wakes up and begins her day with her dog Jazz. The pair step outside and start walking and see a dog named Polka in the distance. Friendy calls out Polka's name, and we set out on a journey to reach Polka. An easy story, but with tons of delightful surprises that had me laughing, entranced, and saying "wow, this is a trip!" as I played along.

Gameplay and mechanics in Finding Polka are very simple. It's a walking simulator with plenty of exploration. Players walk through the hand-drawn ballpoint pen art, discovering hidden points throughout. These surprises range from mini-games that don't require much skill to finding objects and bringing them to the NPC who needs them. There are no big rewards for finding these items, but if you're looking for a high five for your good work, you'll get it, quite literally, as a high-five animation will pop up when a request is fulfilled.

A Beautiful Ball-point World

Exploring the world in Finding Polka is a delight in itself as you walk through a maze of pathways in an effort to find where Polka has gone next. The hand-drawn art style is full of little details that range from the everyday to the strange. At times, I had to stop and admire the scenes laid out before me, from cityscapes, sad forests, burrows underground, and even at one point, the moon??? It was all so lovely to look at and reminded me so much of all my ballpoint pen doodles in notebooks I drew during college courses.

It genuinely felt like wandering through someone's sketchbook at times, with loads of details that could only come from a brain releasing all the little creatures and labyrinths coiled up in its folds. The art is accompanied by a soundtrack and musical scenes that add to the delightfulness of the art and remind me of all those times I'd hum a track while drawing in a stream of consciousness.

Perhaps that's what makes Finding Polka so incredibly delightful; it feels like we're wandering through a curated stream of consciousness containing the kinds of surprises we don't realize are contained within.

Finding Zen

It is recommended to play Finding Polka with a controller so that you can sit back and enjoy the game; I did. I sat back, relaxed, and moved my control stick with the occasional interaction with the press of an A button. This makes Finding Polka a great game to play one-handed.

Its simplicity is easily accessible for enjoyability, and it really is a great game if you're looking for a short 2.5-hour playtime.

Sit Back, Relax, and Enjoy the Journey

Overall, Finding Polka was an incredible delight, through and through. I really had a great time playing, and I can say without a doubt that if you're looking for a game that's easy and relaxing, this is one you'll want to play.