Finding Polka Review – Charming Wordless Dog-Catching Adventure

When a mischievous dog is constantly one step ahead of you, chasing them down is exhausting. But if you are pursuing the dog through a charming and unusual world, it’s actually not bad. Finding Polka puts you in that premise when a titular French Bulldog runs away, just out of reach. A cozy exploration game developed by lidlocks and published by PARCO GAMES, chase Polka around town while helping out the citizens.

The story is simple and best reflected in the title. You are Frendy, a young woman with a Daschund named Jazz. While walking outside one day, she sees a French Bulldog that looks like Polka, a dog she once raised. Polka always seems just one step ahead of Frendy, who wants to see the dog up close. As Frendy follows Polka around town, the locations and individuals she meets are just a tad more unusual than normal, but that doesn’t stop her from lending a hand while searching for Polka.

Barely any words are found throughout the adventure. Frendy occasionally calls for Polka and you can find dates written on calendars, but this isn’t frequent. There’s no tutorial either, you just control Frendy and begin the adventure. Your entire goal is to catch up to Polka and the path is somewhat linear. The town has its twists and turns but for the most part it’s hard to get lost on the way to Polka.

Not having any words to guide you unsettled me at first. I was wondering if the game had begun or if there was anything to focus on. After walking around town and starting the search for Polka, I began to adapt. It was freeing to walk around town without something telling me what the goal was; there was more time to appreciate the art style and eccentricities of the town. Without words to distract me, I stopped thinking I was in a game and could imagine myself as Frendy in town.

However, the lack of words did present some downsides. Despite the fact that Polka’s location is always known, it wasn’t always clear how I would get there. There is also no tutorial explaining the controls and zooming in/out makes a difference in gameplay. Playing some mini-games was confusing when I wasn’t sure what the controls were. The confusion didn’t last long, but it did make some aspects more challenging than necessary.

Not having descriptions also makes it unclear what task is necessary or if you are on the right track. The gameplay is linear but there were times when I was wondering if I was on the correct path or if I was missing something. Even if you can eventually reach Polka to continue the adventure, it gradually gets harder to reach the dog. This means you can get lost or feel uncertain because there’s no guidance.

On the other hand, the lack of guidance also means you are incentivized to explore the whole town. Instead of moving on a straight path towards the goal, you must explore every twist and turn. Sometimes you find another opening or a character that needs help. There’s no inherent reward, but you get to see the various designs weaved into the town; it feels alive with characters moving around and encountering unusual situations.

The art style added to the charm of exploration. It’s simple yet detailed enough that you know what you are looking at. There are also some unusual details that stand out like flying drones with specific purposes. Nothing approaches uncanny valley though, instead looking more silly than unnatural. It was almost like I was watching a cartoon from my childhood and it gave me a calm, nostalgic feeling.

Finding Polka is all about exploration and nothing else. While there are mini-games, I didn’t find much else to do other than look around. You can appreciate the town, laugh at what you see, and even help some individuals find certain items. But if a calming, simple journey isn’t your style, you won’t find much that attracts you here.

Finding Polka is a charming, cozy adventure that keeps things simple. There’s no pressure to find everything and you can explore the town as you like. Exploring town shows off the art style and how the mundane can look impressive. But a lack of words does mean objectives aren’t always clear. If you want a story that doesn’t overstay its welcome and has some charm, this is the game for you.

Victor reviewed Finding Polka on PC with a provided review code. This review is based on the version of the game available at the time of writing and our score will not be changed.