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This parody of The Witness is funny, fun, and freeThe Looker is a rare thing: a fun parody game with good jokes
The Looker is a rare thing: a fun parody game with good jokes
Video game parodies are often ropey, being neither funny nor fun to play. I am delighted thatThe Lookeris both, and free too. It’s a loving send-up ofThe Witness, inviting us to a strange island to solve more line-drawing puzzles and listen to more audio tapes. Some of the puzzles are quite clever, and many of the jokes made me laugh—plus it’s only an hour or two to complete.
Honestly, don’t watch this trailer, okay. Just skip down unless you really need convincing, in which case you’re only spoiling your own fun.
The Looker - TrailerWatch on YouTube
The Looker - Trailer
Also, it’s funny. I’m being vague because part of the fun is seeing what The Looker does with the foundations of The Witness, but many jokes play with expectations, or are surprises, or come from realisations. Others come more straightforwardly in audio logs with daft riffs on Gravity’s Rainbow, Invisible Cities, philosophy, and poetry colliding into foolishness. I laughed at many jokes! Aloud! I realise that’s what jokes are for, but so few video game parodies are actually funny.
In our glowingThe Witness review, Richard Moss said it’s “actually quite brilliant, if you can ignore its layer of self-satisfied philosophical grandiosity”. We declared itone of our favourites games of 2016too.
I just remembered one puzzle joke and started laughing again. Good job, The Looker.
Looking for more freebies? Check out our list of thebest free PC games to play in 2024.
