On the one hand, there really isn’t much to say about Blanc, a new couch co-op puzzle adventure game from Casus Ludi and Gearbox, that hasn’t been said about games like It Takes Two, A Way Out, or Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. If you liked those games and have someone to play with, Blanc is going to be another one for your library. I would classify Blanc on the lighter side of the spectrum, narrative-wise, but it’s not a bad use of three hours or so of a cozy afternoon.
On the other hand… man, Blanc‘s marketing did it precisely zero favors. Watching Blanc‘s announcement trailer from last summer shows off a game with about a hundred percent more whimsy and conflict than what’s actually in there. Images abound of the game’s two playable characters, a white fawn and black wolf pup, growing from enemies to friends; from an initial tense standoff to frolicking in the snow to sheltering together to keep each other warm, this trailer promises a heartwarming, if a bit saccharine experience.
Very little of this is in the game. When the wolf pup initially meets the fawn, they simply begin walking together—aside from a single growl from the wolf pup, no conflict whatsoever. While there are moments of tension, like when an animal is at risk of falling off a high point, nothing suggests the kind of relationship shown off in the marketing material. Additionally, while the marketing suggests that these two young animals are unlikely allies on this impromptu journey through a frozen wasteland, there are plenty of instances in nature where animals will go beyond their designated roles of predator and prey and perform examples of what we would call mutual aid.
I can’t hold any of this against the game itself, though. I’m being a killjoy. Marketing often differs from the final product, and Blanc is enjoyable enough on its own merits.
I wouldn’t recommend playing it by yourself like I did, though. Seeing as how I only have the Switch Lite, and my left analogue stick is busted, I spent much of my playtime literally wrestling with the controls. When I wasn’t wrenching my left joycon around to get the wolf pup to go where I wanted, I was having to constantly recalibrate my spatial awareness of both characters.
Some of the puzzles towards the end of the game were a bit opaque and janky, especially where they required me to signal to two other AI-controlled animals that they needed to complete certain actions. I spent a lot of time trying to troubleshoot an AI lamb’s pathing before finally – randomly – something clicked into place and we were able to progress. That said, there were some neat ideas in here: I particularly enjoyed the segment where I had to guide a family of ducklings through a windy area by shielding them with my bod(ies) and letting them run in my slipstream.
The best way to approach Blanc is with low expectations and a friend to play with. If you have those factors accounted for, you’re going to have a good time.