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A Game Called Paako

It’s a game. It’s called Paako. It’s A Game Called Paako. It’s a game called A Game Called Paako. It’s about Paako, but also about A Game Called Paako. It’s only about Paako, but it’s not only about Paako. You’ll finish A Game Called Paako, but you won’t finish A Game Called Paako.

Steam Page
Developer
Team Paako
Publisher
Hawthorn Games, USC Games
Release
March 22, 2024
2 years and 133 days ago
Steam Reviews
Mostly Positive238 reviews76.5%

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Game contextLatest: IGF Team
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Notes
Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer.
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher.
A separate publisher is listed without a proven bounded regional or service-only role.
Search Google: Is A Game Called Paako self-published or published by Hawthorn Games and USC Games?Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified.
Search Google: How is A Game Called Paako and Hawthorn Games and USC Games funded?FundingThe known source of funding behind the game.
Search Google: Who controls the creative direction and IP for A Game Called Paako and Team Paako?Creative controlWho appears to retain creative control of the game.
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Release statusWhether and how the game has been released.
The title released with a separate publisher relationship.

Media

6 items

About the Game




A Game Called Paako is a pixel-art 2D platformer metagame that tells the story of a game major graduate student making his thesis game project: A Game Called Paako.




  • Quality-certified double jump and wall jump mechanics. (Very old-school)
  • A fishing minigame. (Of course)
  • Watch a talk show. (Why?)
  • Find a job. (Or at least try to)
  • Listen to your own echo. (No, I don’t have one)




A Game Called Paako is initially an MFA thesis project at the University of Southern California created by Chaoran Huang, developed with help of Team Paako. For more information, please visit our publisher page. To learn more about the USC Games program, the #1 Games Program in the world, check out the USC Games website.
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