Do you think the protagonist of this game is "cute" or "a horrific monster that defiles the very concept of nature"? I would say "both." It is still fashionable to claim cognitive dissonance. I'm not ashamed to say (or perhaps I should say, I'm not ashamed to say) that this two-headed... The question that immediately popped into my head when I first saw the "How do they poop?" was "How do they poop?". This, sadly, is not addressed in the game.

Fogs have two heads, no legs, and can stretch like taffy. Each level has a golden bone, which is used as currency in the hat shop. The hats have no special abilities and can make funny puppy faces look cuter.

The levels are divided into three worlds based on the foggy concept of food, play, and sleep. Each world has six platform-puzzle-like stages and a boss experience, although there are no boss battles. For solo play, the story assumes that you will be using a gamepad, which is arguably the best way to play. The left side of the pad controls movement, stretching, grabbing (and barking), and the right side controls the other.

This strange body imposes limitations on you and the fogs themselves, but it also has advantages, which are exploited throughout in many clever ways. You can't cross that gap. No problem. It bites into a conveniently placed peg and swings from one to the other until it gets over to the other side. Water the plants; have one fog bite into a nearby water pipe and let the other spit water where it needs to be. Let the other one spit water where it is needed.

The puzzle becomes more complex and interesting. Nevertheless, some of them are not puzzles, and they are some of the best moments in the game. The play area is the highlight of PHOGS. You can bounce a little awkwardly on the pinball machine, cooperate in a motorcycle arcade game, play with a giant hookah duck...

I played most of the game with friends, which brought out the best and worst of the experience. Local co-op is also an option, which is great, but I played online. When you control just one fog, you control the entire pad in a more traditional way (both sides function the same), which eliminates the awkwardness of playing when playing alone. I have no complaints at all in that regard.

Naturally, when playing something puzzle-based with a friend, you can bounce ideas off each other and improve as quickly as possible. However, on the other hand, there were many times when we overthought and missed obvious solutions. This is not the game's fault, of course, but it is one indication that almost all of the puzzles are incredibly simple. I never stumbled for long, either in solo or cooperative play.

I'm all for games that refuse to make players suffer, and I consistently enjoyed my time with the lovely insult to nature. That is not necessarily a bad thing. The bigger problem is that online play leads to bugs, glitches, and disconnections.

I never played all the levels without problems and sometimes had to reload checkpoints, but the fun was never interrupted. This is due in no small part to the production. The wonderful, slightly surrealistic art design is equal parts cute and charming (and every now and again, unintentionally stirring). It gives a strong and utterly enjoyable flavor to an already memorable and varied task. You can make a giant pizza out of a cannon, slip through a spotlighted bird's head, or be petted by a giant teddy bear.

There are NPCs scattered throughout each world, but they do not perform epic side quests. Some NPCs will ask you for something in exchange for a golden bone (you can tell by the thought bubble that appears above their heads), but most of the time they are just there to make the environment fun or to do the aforementioned petting. Some of them are even useful, such as the plant-eating creature and the pained-looking anthropomorphic alarm clock.

We laughed a lot along the way, and not just because I am naturally hilarious, of course. What goes wrong is just as much fun as what goes right, and twice as likely to elicit laughter. If I make a swing or jump at the wrong time on my own, I'll gladly get back up if it's a minor inconvenience. Do the same thing with a friend and you'll be half-laughing, unspoken (or even verbally) to blame. Your fogginess failed, didn't it? Just don't talk to me about trying to manipulate a comically large pair of scissors. Ugh. ...... Long story short, not much fun.

With the three main worlds complete, the final ordeal remained. Despite the minimalist and abstract storytelling, it feels like a spoiler, and there are some great moments that are better experienced fresh. Overall, however, the film feels a bit dry and disappointing compared to previous productions. Once the final part of this adventure is over, whether or not to return depends entirely on the urge to rake in the collectibles that were missed. And then there's the love of decorating a mutant dog, which is physically impossible.

If you're looking for an antidote to the endless parade of heavy RPGs and games dedicated to killing, this is a great choice. It's all about familiarity and joy. Play it alone or with a friend, it's guaranteed to be a source of fun and teamwork.