Once Upon a Puppet (v2.14.4.2 & ALL DLC)

A crumbling kingdom of curtains, spotlights, and painted scenery turns a familiar platforming quest into a theatrical fantasy with real personality. Once Upon a Puppet follows Nieve, an exiled stagehand, and Drev, an impulsive puppet actor, after magic binds them together beneath the grand World Stage. Their climb from the shadowy Understage toward the bright Frontstage mixes friendship, regret, and the lingering damage left by a grieving king. The tone is whimsical on the surface but carries a melancholy edge, as every ruined set suggests a story that has been neglected or deliberately buried.

Control centers on the relationship between puppet and puppeteer rather than simple running and jumping. Nieve directs Drev through platforming challenges, hostile shadow creatures, and environmental puzzles built around strings, props, movable scenery, and reconstructed stage scenes. Many obstacles ask players to think like a backstage crew: reposition objects, arrange characters and backdrops, then replay fragments of old performances to reveal the truth behind the theater’s collapse. Exploration also rewards careful players with hidden collectibles, while the journey introduces a large supporting cast through fully voiced, hand-crafted dialogue.

The standout idea is how completely the game commits to its stagecraft theme. Areas shift between different moments in the theater’s history, while 2D story sequences, elaborate props, and stylized 2.5D environments make each location feel like a living production rather than a standard fantasy level. Drev and Nieve’s shared movement gives the adventure a distinct identity, somewhere between a classic cinematic puzzle-platformer and a storybook character drama. Players who enjoy the atmosphere and environmental problem-solving of Little Nightmares, Trine, or A Juggler’s Tale should find plenty to like, particularly if they prefer imaginative worlds and narrative-driven puzzles over demanding precision platforming.