Concierge by KODINO
Our protagonist wakes up in a mysterious hotel, not knowing who he is or what he’s doing there. As he explores the hotel, he realizes that he’s the only tenant and that he can’t leave. What follows is the unraveling of the mystery surrounding the hotel, its past inhabitants, and their fates.
Ghosts on Film
Concierge plays like an old-school point-and-click adventure game with supernatural elements. Early on, you’ll find a camcorder, which becomes a key part of the gameplay. You can use this device to uncover hidden items, ghostly apparitions, and hidden messages along walls. It’s needed to solve the many puzzles scattered throughout the game and is necessary for progression.
Puzzles themselves are mainly minigames, like spotting ghostly figures across several photographs within a time limit. Another had me moving along tiles in a bird’s eye view in a Legend of Zelda-style dungeon. And one of my favorites had me take a bizarre questionnaire to give me a psych evaluation. There is so much variety here that it makes each minigame a joy to encounter. And for the most part, they are enjoyable and don’t overstay their welcome.
It isn’t all perfect, though. For one, some minigames feel uniquely tied to the narrative, but fewer than I would have liked. Many feel more like busywork. Also, one minigame in particular has you make unwieldy, awkward vertical jumps. It not only doesn’t add much in the way of storytelling but is frustrating to boot.
Concierge is at its strongest when its minigames are cohesive with the narrative. The questioner mini-game comes to mind, as it adds to the game’s gloomy narrative terrifically. I wish there were more of these sequences.
Ghost of a Story
Concierge’s narrative focuses revolves around an actor and their past. It’s mainly told through brief cutscenes, journal entries, and subtle visual cues in the environment. That being said, there isn’t much to grasp onto. It occasionally opts to be too vague, but at other times overexplains details that aren’t particularly necessary, making for a storyline that feels disjointed but offered just enough intrigue to keep me slightly engaged.
I enjoyed the point-and-click adventure mechanics more; the fun of exploring the hotel and completing mini-games overshadows the narrative so much that the lackluster narrative isn’t such a big deal.
Visually, Concierge combines hand-drawn illustrations with live-action media, blending to create a surrealistic, dreamlike setting where grasp on reality is weak. It is a surreal but oddly inviting atmosphere. In one instance, you explore a 2D dungeon to see flashes of old live-action B-roll. Another sequence involving hallucinogens makes use of quick flashing live-action photos…truly unnerving stuff.
The ambient music also helps drive home the game’s mood. Subtle echoed synthesis provides a low drone that coincides with the gloomy setting. It’s well-crafted and makes Concierge even better.
The Verdict:
Concierge is a puzzle adventure game that takes some interesting risks. Its inclusion of minigames makes for an experience with a lot of variety. While not perfect in its implementation, mainly in regards to its narrative, it is still commendable that developers KODINO take these risks. That being said, there is enough here to satisfy those looking for a supernatural adventure in which to get lost.
Concierge is available via Steam.
Check out the official trailer for Concierge below:
