Koira Reviews
Koira is an experience that appeals directly to the emotions. It is a short adventure, but it is loaded with sensitivity and message. Beyond its simple puzzles or some mechanics that could have been developed further, what remains is a story that reflects on friendship, care and connection with nature. It will captivate you especially if you have pets.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Koira is a title that deserves to be played by all those who seek a relaxing yet thought-provoking and emotional experience. Despite its apparent simplicity, Studio Tolima's production succeeds in the increasingly complex task of offering something new, something worth experiencing.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Koira lacks in-game substance as it offers little encouraged progression like collectibles or various ways to experience the journey more than once, which could otherwise make it one to remember… Still, the way the game embraces music as the language evokes emotion that players can build upon is introspective. This is where Koira succeeds.
The urge to protect those who are vulnerable is powerful, and players will be hard-pressed to complete Koira without having experienced an overwhelming surge of emotion at some point. With relatively few hiccups and an incredibly memorable story presented beautifully, Koira is one of the best indie games of the year so far.
Koira is an inconspicuous game, short and full of shortcomings, but at the same time charming in its own way. Although it tries to move and build emotional depth, it often does so too artificially, thus failing to get where it should. The gameplay is sometimes schematic, and some mechanics are more annoying than engaging. Still, it's hard to deny the developers' ambition - it's clear that there's potential for something bigger hidden here.
Review in Polish | Read full review
I said above that I won’t spoil the story of Koira. What I will say is that it did make me tear up more than once. The game’s themes: friendship and understanding between the forest spirit, their new dog and the animals in the forest; contrasted with the humans greed, need to overcome and essentially conquer nature is something that we see too often in the real world I fear.
Koira is a beautiful little game that embraces the power of music to tell a story of the importance of nature, friendship, and the power of connection.
Koira is a beautiful game wrapped in a simple package. It tells an emotional tale about bonding with a dog and how they can affect us as we go through hardship. It's heartwarming to see how the friendship develops, and is highlighted by the gorgeous world and soundtrack. The gameplay is on the simple side, and it isn't perfect, but it does the job and keeps the story front and center. It runs extremely well on the Steam Deck, getting to 90 FPS with ease and sticking around a 10W battery drain. This is definitely a perfect game to play in bed when you want to relax, and I can happily recommend it.
Koira is a masterpiece that, while it won't win the GOTY, it will win the hearts of all those willing to play it.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Koira, published by Don't Nod, is a minimalist and atmospheric adventure game that follows a girl who befriends an injured dog in a snowy forest while evading relentless hunters. With no dialogue, the storytelling relies on player interpretation and a strong audiovisual presentation, featuring hand-painted grayscale landscapes and a musical puzzle system. The gameplay is simple, with intuitive puzzles and basic controls, making it more of a walking simulator than a traditional narrative-driven experience. While Koira delivers an emotionally resonant and visually striking journey, its short length and straightforward mechanics keep it as a pleasant artistic interlude rather than a groundbreaking title.
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Koira is a magical experience from beginning to end. While the simple story and gameplay mechanics may not appeal to everyone, the fact that the game manages to tell a charming yet heart-wrenching narrative without any dialogue is very impressive. Despite some bugs and a few instances of crashing, you should definitely play Koira, especially if you're looking for an adorable and calming adventure to play during the Spring season.