How Hirogami Devs Handcrafted Its World of Transformation-Based Gameplay

Two Hirogami developers recently discussed Hiro’s various transformations and how they interact with the game’s paper-like world. In Hirogami, players control Hiro, a “folding master” with a troubled past who is tasked with uncovering the mystery behind a sinister force called the Blight. Hiro must journey the land, battling the Blight’s forces using powerful shapeshifting abilities resembling traditional Japanese origami.

Game Rant recently spoke with Hirogami creative director Yandhie Pratopo and lead game designer Yi Han Yong about various aspects of the game, including its transformation mechanic and how it ties into the Paper Mario-like origami world they have created. Pratopo explained that the development team wanted each form to feel different: “We wanted each transformation to have its own feel, rhythm, and tone. The armadillo is fast and fun, the frog is playful, the ape is powerful and deliberate.” That difference was important to the overall game, with Yong also explaining,

“Once we had that world [made of origami], we shaped the gameplay to match. The idea of folding and unfolding – of fragility, resilience, and transformation – was a perfect fit for the kinds of mechanics we love building. The metaphor of paper wasn’t just aesthetic; it became a foundation for how everything interacted.”

Two of these alternate forms can be seen in the free Hirogami Steam demo. After defeating an armadillo enemy that is immune to his usual wind gust attack, Hiro can take its form to roll through enemies and break down obstacles. Hiro can also unfold into a simple sheet of paper to glide short distances or float along gusts of wind. Other pre-launch Hirogami gameplay reveals depict an ape form that can swing along vines, a frog that can jump higher and perform a slam attack, and even a crane that can fly.

Each of Hirogami’s Transformations Feels Different

Yong added that the development team viewed each transformation as “a different verb, a way to interact with the world.” They also wanted each in-game environment to not only reflect its inhabitants visually, but also present a challenge to the transformation featured. As Pratopo explained,

“More than just being visual, these areas mechanically reinforced the transformations used within them. That consistency helps players feel more immersed and in tune with each world, and the interplay between form and world design helps make each chapter feel distinct and thematically cohesive.”

Hirogami will launch on September 3, meaning that it will still be a few months before players can see how the game’s many different transformations and level designs come together to make a thematic experience. Hirogami’s showings at this year’s Steam Game Fest and the State of Play have certainly brought some attention to Bandai Namco Studios Singapore and Kakehashi Games’ origami adventure. Interested gamers can already try out the first level in the free Steam demo ahead of its eventual launch.