Point-and-Click games can be a mixed bag sometimes. In fact, there are some that, despite their best efforts, fall short of being the great stories we will talk about for ages. There are some great Point-and-Clicks, such as The Journey Down and Bear with Me, but others are…less interesting. This sadly is where Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love falls in the dichotomy of Point-and-Clicks.

Irony Curtain puts you in the role of Evan, a low-ranking journalist who idolizes (and has an unrealistic view of) communism. He sees the fictional country of Matryoshka as a utopia, taking the propaganda they spill out at face value. This man isn’t the brightest bulb in the box as you can tell, but he finds himself embroiled in a spy caper that will affect not only himself but the future of Matryoshka.

Now, here’s the thing about Irony Curtain. It is a Point-and-Click, and mechanically it’s not much different than any other Point-and-Click out there. You collect items, use them to solve puzzles, follow dialogue and story segments, and then slowly work your way through the story. The game will last between 4-8 hours, depending on how much trouble you have with the various puzzles. I personally found some of them to be difficult, to the point where looking up the solutions was a very appealing idea. 

Where Irony Curtain is meant to shine (emphasis on the word meant) lies in its humor, and the alternate cold-war history it presents. Personally, I found that Irony Curtain’s humor fell flat and did not appeal to me in the same way other Point-and-Click adventures have. The “Oh look, this character is an idiot” and “Isn’t communism great guys?” jokes felt like they were beating a dead horse, and overall things were just bland. 

With that being said, I really liked that they made sure that Irony Curtain was fully voiced over. It was a nice touch that made the story more interesting, even if it wasn’t something I personally enjoyed. I also found the art style to be goofy and fun, with the characters all feeling distinctive and unique in design. It should also be mentioned that puzzles can sometimes be completed in multiple ways. This adds variety and replayability to the game if you find that the world and humor of Irony Curtain is something you enjoy.

If I am totally and completely honest here, I wanted to like Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love. It seems great on paper and with the Switch’s portability, it seemed like a no-brainer for people at home or on the go. Another upside is that there were very little in the way of bugs or glitches in the Switch version, and I didn’t have any crashing issues either. 

Overall, Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka With Love isn’t bad, it is just a bit underwhelming and a bit bland. If the visuals appeal to you, or the premise strikes your fancy, pick it up on sale, but otherwise? Give this one a hard pass. 

A Nintendo Switch copy of Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love was provided by Artifex Mundi for this review.

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Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love

3.5

Score

3.5/10

Pros

• Great Art Style
• Interesting Voice Acting
• Multiple Puzzle Solutions

Cons

• Humor Falls Flat
• Story is Uninteresting
• Jokes are Overused