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Amanita Design is back with Phonopolis, a visually impressive puzzle adventure filled with charm, political satire, and inconsistent gameplay.
Amanita Design Presents Another Surreal World
For years, Amanita Design has carved out a niche in the indie gaming world. Where most studios chase after realism or cinematic storytelling, Amanita has always leaned toward tactile fantasy: worlds that look assembled by hand, animated with care, powered by curiosity rather than spectacle.
That identity lives on in Phonopolis, the studio’s first major release in several years. It’s a game with character, mixing dystopian storytelling with cardboard-crafted visuals and experimental puzzle design. At its best, it captures that same strange magic that made Amanita’s previous work so memorable.
But while Phonopolis is undeniably imaginative, it also suffers from a lack of consistency. The experience varies from clever brilliance to vexing ambiguity, making the game feel a little less polished than its stunning presentation deserves.
A City Founded on Obedience
The setting is an immediate draw. Phonopolis is a highly regulated city where giant loudspeakers determine the daily lives of its citizens. Workers follow routines unquestioningly, all under the thumb of an authoritarian ruler known only as The Leader.
The political inspiration is not exactly subtle. There are definite whiffs of Orwellian fiction in the game’s DNA, but Phonopolis never becomes unbearably grim. The story doesn’t drown players in misery, but rather wraps its darker themes in playful humor and theatrical charm.
That tonal balance works pretty well.
The game plays oppression like a sort of twisted puppet show, rather than with brutal seriousness. What emerges is a curious whimsy, despite the underlying commentary on control, conformity and loss of identity.
The story centers on Felix, a young sanitation worker who stumbles across a way to block the city’s mind-controlling broadcasts. Felix is an unlikely rebel, navigating a society programmed to obey, with a pair of headphones that shield him from The Leader’s influence.
It’s a simple premise but gives the adventure a steady emotional core.
The Real Star Is The Cardboard Aesthetic
But before we get to the puzzles, let’s not forget to mention how Phonopolis looks.
The hand-drawn visuals of the game are something else. All buildings, machines and characters are physically sculpted out of paper, cardboard and painted materials. The sets are elaborate theater sets brought to life through stop-motion techniques.
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There’s constant movement within the city as well. Workers plod through the streets, machinery rattles in the background, loudspeakers bark orders from all sides. Even small gestures, like tapping objects or watching tiny environmental animations unfold, help make the world feel alive.
The presentation is so effective because everything feels so tactile. You don’t just watch Phonopolis, you feel like you could touch its surfaces.
The art alone is a massive pull, especially for players who like games that care as much about atmosphere as they do gameplay.
The puzzles are clever . . . until they’re not
The biggest divide in Phonopolis is its puzzle design.
There are some really great sequences. There are times when the game falls into a comfortable rhythm, and players watch patterns, learn systems and naturally connect ideas. A standout section with an apartment building creates real tension and requires careful planning and timing. Another cleverly structured puzzle focusing on collecting identification credentials provides that addictive “everything finally clicks” sensation puzzle fans love.
Unfortunately, those highs aren’t constant.
Phonopolis too often utilizes vague logic and unclear communication. There are a number of puzzles that seem to be based on trial and error experimentation rather than deduction. You’re clicking things over and over again, or turning mechanisms without really knowing what the solution is supposed to be.
The lack of clarity is then frustrating because the game shows it is sometimes capable of very well communicating puzzle logic. Some puzzles are visually cued, come with instruction manuals, or have environmental hints that make solving them deeply satisfying. Some leave players guessing in the dark until the answer appears by chance.
This inconsistency leads to pacing issues throughout the adventure.
Repetition is beginning to hurt the momentum
Much of the gameplay involves mechanical board puzzles with arrows, moving blocks, rotating pieces and directional pathways.
These parts are fun for a while. They’re tactile, visually clean, and fun to play with. Fans of minimalist logic games will probably enjoy the physicality behind these interactions.
But too often the game depends on this formula.
In the final stretch, the constant stop-and-start puzzle rhythm starts to suck momentum out of the story. Instead of building to an emotional climax, the ending is over stuffed with repeated mechanical challenges that slow everything down.
Which is a shame, because the story itself is interesting enough to deserve a bigger payoff.
Why Felix Works. He Feels Human
Phonopolis’ main character is one of its quieter strengths.
Felix is not depicted as a great revolutionary or man of action. He’s fumbling, inquisitive, and sometimes bewildered by the strange circumstances happening around him. That groundedness makes him easy to relate to.
The game also smartly restricts the dialog. A lot of Felix’s personality comes through small reactions, animations and environmental interactions, not long exposition dumps.
This restraint also serves to preserve the dreamlike tone Amanita Design is known for.
The supporting cast, however, is mainly for atmosphere rather than deep characterization. But all the people of Phonopolis together show the themes of the game about routine, obedience and social conditioning.
Sound Design Has Some Incredible Moments
The sound design is somewhere between immersive and distracting.
Phonopolis is at its best when it goes for ambient soundscapes. Mechanical noises, echoing announcements and soft musical cues create a haunting sense of life within the city.
There are a few music-based puzzles that shine since they blend gameplay and sound in new ways.
Some of the tracks are oddly upbeat for the mood the game is trying to create during more challenging puzzles. The music doesn’t help with the concentration either, as it sometimes competes with the already confusing sequences.
It doesn’t ruin the experience, but it does help create the uneven feeling that hangs over the game from start to finish.
The Experience Continues The Creativity Never Stops
Phonopolis is not without its faults, but it is hard to dislike it.
Its world design is so imaginative that even the weaker gameplay sections are rarely outright dull. Amanita Design has a knack for creating spaces that players simply enjoy being in.
The game may not achieve the consistency of the studio’s very best work, but it provides consistently memorable imagery, inventive ideas and moments of real charm.
And honestly, in a gaming landscape filled with safe, formulaic releases, there is something refreshing to have a project willing to feel this handcrafted and strange.
Bottom Line
Phonopolis is a bold puzzle adventure, full of artistic flair but flawed in its execution. From start to finish it stands out with its world of cardboard, clever political satire and memorable visual identity, even when the puzzle design falters.
Inconsistent mechanics may frustrate players looking for perfectly refined logic challenges. But if you’re the type of person who loves atmospheric indie experiences and Amanita Design’s signature style, there’s a lot more to discover inside this strange little city.