The Plague Doctor of Wippra Reviews

Lovely adventure game looking at loss, helping people and corrupting forces.

This pixel art point and click game takes you behind the curtain of history, and into the homes of people whose lives were ravaged by the Black Death in 16th century Germany. But it’s also soaked through with dramatic irony; that is, with the knowledge that modern players take into the game with them, but which, tragically, the characters themselves do not possess. (Some of the choices in the game pivot on this historical disjunction). The game thus creates a sense of immersion in the stricken medieval town of Wippra, as well a sense of intellectual and dramatic distance, as you zoom in and out of the historical setting, equipped with your empathy and historical knowledge. The writing is simple, but effective in its evocations of compassion for the suffering depicted in the game. The implied allusions to the Covid-19 pandemic are also well-judged. Fans of pixel art will love the classically-simple art style, and the moody music - beautifully melancholic strings and piano - adds considerably to the atmosphere. The point and click puzzles are, for the most part, on the easier end of the spectrum, which fits in well with the narrative structure. The game also features my favourite inventory item in a point and click game, ever. The main theme - the clash between medical science and Christian dogmatism - is perhaps a little simplistic in its execution, but, like the writing, it is effective, especially with that added layer of (tragic) dramatic irony. It is a bit gawky, clumsy and (loveably) old-fashioned at times (but with good, modern UI), and there’s some slow walking (which I personally love); but this game, by a solo dev, is highly impressive. Recommended to lovers of video game historical fiction (it has some stuff in common with Pentiment), good storytelling and gorgeous pixel art.