Blanc Game Review: A Cozy Co-op For Couples
Blanc is the definition of a cozy game – short but comforting.
Embark on an artistic, co-op adventure with Blanc, and experience the journey of a wolf cub and a fawn struggling through an immense, wintry wilderness. An unlikely bond must be forged to reunite with their families.
Blanc has been on my radar ever since I saw it featured on Wholesome Direct. The sketchbook-style artwork really resonated with me because it reminded me of the 1982 animated tale of The Snowman by Raymond Briggs.
Christmas wouldn’t be complete here in the UK without it. Even now I’m getting a wave of nostalgia for Christmas at my grandparents’ place, my siblings and I all opening our presents, the famous song from The Snowman singing out from the TV.
Oh to be a kid again!
I was fortunate enough to be gifted a free code to play Blanc but as always my thoughts and opinions stay my own.
READ MORE: 23 Cozy Cat Games on Nintendo Switch for under $20
Blanc Charms its Players
Even their website looks pulled straight out of a Winnie the Pooh book.
This is funny actually because my fiance choose to play as the fawn and as we were playing he kept quoting Tigger and bouncing around.
I can see Blanc being a winner among millennial gaming couples – it was for us!
The goal of Blanc is to guide a fawn and a wolf cub through a wild landscape that has been submerged in snow, back to their families.
Despite the game being wordless it’s easy to see where you need to go as you simply follow the tracks left behind by your family.
Other than a couple of prompts to gallop, jump and wait, you’re on your own.
There’s no combat, instead, you’ll become a guide to a few other birds and animals lost in the snowstorm.
It took us 3hrs to complete the whole game and we played it in one sitting. In my opinion, this was the best way to play Blanc as it’s so short.
The chapters weren’t obvious at first so we plowed ahead, exploring every corner and sometimes being met with a black screen as we traveled too far from the path. My play style is more linear – I’ll follow the tasks, move quickly, and often miss dialogue or side-quests but I’m happy to play a game again once I’ve reached the end.
My partner though has to explore every corner, collect every collectible and spend countless hours on the tiny details like customization where it’s available.
As a game reviewer, I understand the importance of finishing a game in a timely manner, so I can note down my experiences and share them with everyone. Completing titles quickly is essential for me, so I can get this process started and give you my honest opinion.
I think it’s because I like to use my time efficiently. There’s only so much time in the day and I don’t want to dedicate too much of it to just one game.
The short-and-sweet nature of Blanc made it an ideal game for me to enjoy.
I’m sure I’ll be coming back to this again in my free time! Though I wonder if the story would be too short for some players, especially at its price range.
Where Blanc Falls Short
The lack of prompts.
As a cozy gamer, I don’t want to think too hard about what I’m playing. It’s one of the reasons I’m not a huge fan of puzzlers.
I wouldn’t classify Blanc as a puzzle game but its lack of a guide in some chapters meant my fiance and I were left scratching our heads.
“Did we do something wrong?…”
“Should we turn back or restart the level?”
The flow of the story was cut off and our enjoyment waned as one of us got stuck searching for bubbles to pop up while the other tried to disappear off the screen to progress the game.
Yes, folks, this is a game about teamwork. And surprisingly enough, we’re not very good at it.
I need games to flow quickly or I’m going to get bored, and when my partner insists we figure out why something isn’t working or it will bother him, I tend to zone out.
Blanc was on the brink of being switched off twice due to our inability to figure out a simple puzzle.
The first time was on the rooftops. The fawn made it across but I, the wolf cub was stuck watching as he galloped off into the far distance. Clearly, I needed help getting across but no matter how many times the Fawn went back and forth nothing prompted us on screen. After a while, I noticed a prompt appear and realized the Fawn could help me out by pushing something down.
Ugh, that was annoying though.
The second time we were atop a factory and this time it was my wolf cub who could progress and his Fawn that was stuck. It turned out he could jump up and over a tiny wall rather than go the same way I had.
So actually thinking about it, it’s just my fiance… he’s the problem.
Don’t tell him I told you that!
Is Blanc Worth Your Time?
Blanc was a joy to play with my player 2 and it’s one that I’ll remember.
We had so much fun drawing in the snow and sliding about but I wish there had been more – perhaps some hidden collectibles or more puzzles, even a dedicated action for the fawn and cub to interact together would have been nice.
Most of the time we were just doing our own thing, both on our separate jaunts until a puzzle cropped up.
Neither of us felt an emotional connection to the other character.
Blanc wants you to appreciate the beauty of the story, but the preciseness of the controls and being in the right place for prompts hurt the overall experience.
If you’re looking for an atmospheric co-op game similar to Journey or Unravel 2, this one is definitely worth a try. However, don’t expect it to be too complex or potentially replayable.
BUY NOW: BLANC on Nintendo Switch and Steam
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