Being the PC gamer I am, I never had the chance to play or had even heard of the original Clover game. Clover was available through the Xbox independent community, where it received quite a bit of praise when it was first released. Clover: A Curious Tale is an expansion onto the original game with a 50 percent increase to gameplay content, including a port to the PC.

Clover: A Curious Tale feels very similar to an adventure game to me; the only difference is that it takes the format of a sidescroller. One of the first things you’ll notice about the game is the artwork. The game is full of watercolor art in a layered two-dimensional world. The art is stylish, definitely not cheap, but feels almost childish and at the same time quite charming. The layering of images in the background helps give you a nice sense depth — something most likely not visible in screenshots. The music is all original composed with a lovely light piano score that just perfectly sets the mood of the game. Surprisingly, there is voice acting in this indie game, and although I wouldn’t think of comparing it to a high-budget game, I was pleasantly surprised at the mixture of silliness and quality put into it.

The main character in Clover: A Curious Tale is Sam, whose parents are killed when the ship they were on was attacked by “evil” foreigners. Sam sets off to discover what happened to his parents and finds the world around him controlled with an iron fist by the king. While Sam can get into trouble with the law, he is quickly released from prison and can carry on his search again. The game starts with a mild political tone that strengthens over the length of the game to very a clear message at the end.

The solving of puzzles in Clover: A Curious Tale is pretty simple. Sam can carry two or three items, and interacting with an object or person will automatically use them. By having the right two items in your inventory, they will combine to make something new if it is possible. The problem I had with this is that you seem to spend forever going back and forth getting the correct items for new areas. I would use one item and open a new small area then have to run all the way back and grab something else to advance further. A more active inventory system would be a huge plus to the game. The puzzles in Clover: A Curious Tale are generally pretty simple and rarely need multiple steps to complete. However there are definitely points in the game in which the answer to your frustration and the next step is not at all clear; some are even downright random.

For an indie game, Clover: A Curious Tale feels not as indie as I would have first figured. The music and artwork are classy and refreshing and sets the tone for the rest of the game. Even the controls are responsive and easy to use! While the game only lasted about four hours on my playthrough, the low cost of about $10 is quite reasonable and, in my opinion, well worth it. The adventure Sam goes through is absolutely brilliant, and it something that sticks in my mind still a couple weeks after finishing.