Video games that eschew photorealism for a more painterly artistic style are getting a lot of attention lately. Nomada Studio's graceful Neva won Best Artistic Achievement at the BAFTA Game Awards, and we recently spoke to the team behind Blades of Fire.
One indie dev is now bringing a uniquely naive approach to game art. He's created a puzzle adventure based on drawings by his four-year-old daughter. The game looks adorable, obviously, but is also looks highly playable.
Artur Latkovsky previously made a found-footage horror movie called The Land of Blue Lakes, so his latest project is something of a stylistic U-turn. Odd Dorable is a cozy puzzle adventure, and it's very much a family affair – literally, given that Artur's daughter was on art direction duties.
The game is set in a hand-drawn open world that aims to evoke a sense of curiosity and wonder to help players reconnect with their inner child through playful visual storytelling.
There are quirky characters to meet, and vibrant, imaginative locations. The objective in around 30 minutes of play is to solve puzzles, find six magic candies and help a princess recover her magic powers.
Amusingly, Artur is billing the game as a much more wholesome alternative to the delayed Grand Theft Auto VI, which is now not expected until May 2026 (see the new GTA 6 trailer). "No violence like in GTA, only friendship (you can pop a balloon or two)," he jokes on X.
GTA VI is Delayed 😱No worries Odd Dorable is still coming this year, relaxing exploration game I am creating from my lovely daughter’s drawings ❤️No violence like in GTA, only friendship (you can pop a ballon or two)#FridayVibes #GamingNews #gaming pic.twitter.com/eKpscF3ZFGMay 2, 2025
There's no language in the game either (I mean no language at all, not just bad language), and that could give it universal appeal.
"Attention: This game is digestible," Artur writes on the game's profile on Steam. "A digestible game respects its players' money and time, is designed around a single idea, and doesn’t overstay its welcome. We want you to be able to finish our games in just a short session without ever making you feel stuffed, so to say."
You can wishlist Odd Dorable on Steam. It will be released in September.
If you want to create your own game, see our pick of the best game engines. For the latest news from the sector, see Epic's update on Unreal Engine 6.
