I love a good platformer, and I’m particularly partial to games that require you to take photos of things. I realize that the latter of those two is a pretty niche category, but Bokeh Adventure takes it and combines it with the former, resulting in something that is absolutely adorable, and yet horrifically frustrating in all the best (and worst) ways. 

Bokeh Adventure is the cute creation of solo developer Daniel Almenara. In it, you play as Randy, a would-be photography prodigy with a camera borrowed from his grandpa and grand designs for the world around him. Using your camera, you can change every level by photographing items within it and then placing them around the place, allowing you to reach new areas and collect all the film rolls. 

It is undeniably cute, and as such, I was surprised by the level of frustration it caused, but don’t let that put you off.  

“Hey, I needed that!”

I’m not saying that Bokeh Adventure isn’t a joy to play, because it absolutely is. It’s cute, it has well-placed humor, and it even has some collectables, and we all know how much I love those. But, there is a dark side to this that isn’t immediately clear when you take in the cutesy graphics of the characters and settings. 

Admittedly, that might be a little melodramatic. 

The darkest thing about Bokeh Adventure is the shadow beneath you when you jump. But still, there is a level of frustration that comes with having only three photo object slots and only being able to use them once. It results in a lot of back and forth that needs to be meticulously planned and thought out; otherwise, you can easily spend about an hour on each level trying to figure out what you’re supposed to use where. 

You’re quick to figure out that Randy can only jump one box or barrel high, and the stacks of two boxes aren’t something that you can use alone. But, they’re on opposite sides of the map and you need to get them both, but to get the double stack you need to use the single box, and that means you need to run back to the beginning once you’ve used it because you’ve had to restore it after using it to get the double stack. 

That’s probably not all that clear, but I can’t explain it any other way. Don’t even get me started on the snowmen who melt when within range of a campfire on the Frosty Frames levels. I know it’s realistic, it’s also a harsh lesson when you think you’ve got everything figured out and then fall to your death because the snowman melted under your feet. 

Frustration isn’t a bad thing

Rage games seem to be all the rage in the past few years. With games like Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy, Geometry Dash, and Pico Park becoming popular with players despite their innate ability to cause immense amounts of frustration and rage quit moments. I’m not suggesting that Bokeh Adventure is as rage-filled as those games, but it does have its moments of “oh for goodness’ sake, I needed that!” that will have you wanting to yell. 

That’s not a bad thing, though. Rather than making you want to quit, those moments drive you to keep trying to do better than you did before. Frustration is a great driving force, not to mention the shame-filled face-palm moments that you experience when you try to make a jump and fall into the abyss. 

Collections, but not overwhelming

Despite the frustration that occurs while playing Bokeh Adventure, it is undoubtedly fun. There’s a collectible rabbit in every scene, which works as something of a challenge as well, and even secret outfits to be discovered. You’re highly unlikely to get bored while progressing through the stages and trying to earn the right to own grandpa’s camera. 

You will need to test your patience while trying to take photos of the rabbits or grab those elusive outfits. They’re out of reach, and getting to them requires some outside-the-box thinking. If nothing else, Bokeh Adventure is great for keeping your brain active while you enjoy a gaming session.

Bokeh Adventure is available now on PC via Steam, and there’s a free demo available to try before you buy.