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0 There’s something truly magical about diving into a new world. Pilo and the Holobook, out now on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch, invites you to do just that. Developed by Mudita Games and published by RedDeer Games, this exploration-based adventure swaps swords for stickers and combat for curiosity. Set across a mesmerising, hand-painted galaxy, the game follows Pilo, an apprentice explorer armed with nothing, but a Holobook and a big heart, as they document the wonders of the universe and tackle a creeping corruption known as the Tar.
What unfolds is a peaceful, creative journey that encourages discovery, observation, and empathy—perfect for players who want a break from endless battles and high-octane mayhem.
This book is worth putting stickers in
I was excited to play this because, let’s face it, a new cute mascot is always welcome in gaming! There’s a special place in our hearts (and desktops) for characters like this, and Pilo fits right in for cuteness. Let us know in the comments below who your favourite gaming mascot of all time is. Does Pilo deserve a spot alongside them?
Gameplay
Pilo and the Holobook charms right from the get-go. You play as Pilo, an apprentice explorer in the XOP-642 star system, wielding the all-important Holobook: a multifunctional, sticker-slapping, lore-logging wonder of a device. This is your main tool, not just for tracking progress, but for solving puzzles, interacting with creatures, and repelling the creeping corruption known as the Tar.
While it may look like a child’s bedtime story, there’s surprising depth here. Every planet is packed with unique flora and fauna, and your job is to observe, interact, and document. The sticker system feels like a reward in and of itself, offering the satisfying “plonk” of discovery as you fill up your Holobook one charming critter at a time. Some entries even include little written messages, offering small narrative touches that ground each planet in its quirky reality.
However, every time you leave a planet, you’re booted back to the central hub. It’s a lovely area the first few times, but eventually it becomes the equivalent of an unskippable bus transfer when all you want is a direct route to your next adventure.
The Holobook gains new abilities as you go, and that evolving toolkit gives the game a nice sense of progression. However, it’s not all smooth space-sailing. Some worlds, like the desert planet, can feel a bit too sprawling, to the point where I was wandering in circles, desperately trying to remember if I’d scanned a cactus or just a very pointy rock. While environmental puzzles are generally light-touch, I got stuck on the “study the dark matter” objective and, for the life of me, couldn’t work out how to position the stickers correctly. Either I missed something obvious, or I’m not the spatial reasoning genius I thought I was.
Graphics and Audio
Pilo and the Holobook is a delectable feast of colours. Never feeling, too gloomy or oversaturated, it got each zone right and made you feel how the imagery should make you feel. Each planet has a distinctive hand-painted aesthetic, and the environments are lush, vibrant, and teeming with life. The art shifts depending on whether you’re actively playing or engaging in dialogue. In-game, the visuals are clean and stylised, whereas dialogue scenes swap to hand-drawn portraits. The two styles are noticeably different, but both are beautiful in their own right. It’s in those hand-drawn moments that characters’ expressions truly shine—there’s a warmth there that elevates the writing.
That said, the use of both serif and sans serif fonts in the UI is a minor crime against immersion. It’s a small thing, but when you’re knee-deep in a whimsical space saga, jarring typography can feel like someone’s scribbled biro notes on your bedtime story. Although I do realise these were probably used for accessibility reasons.
The music evokes cosy RPG vibes, gentle, melodic, and perfectly tuned to the vibe of each planet. It’s rare that I actively pause to appreciate a soundtrack, but this one caught my ear more than once. And while there’s no full voice acting, Pilo occasionally drops the odd “oh” or “huh”, and honestly? That’s enough. It works.
Longevity
There’s a meditative quality to the gameplay loop: scan, sticker, explore, repeat. That makes it perfect for cosy sessions with a cuppa. Whilst the core story isn’t long, but the completionist crowd will find plenty of joy in hunting down every last sticker and essence. It’s the kind of game you can dip in and out of, slowly building your Holobook until it’s bursting at the seams.
Final Thoughts
Pilo and the Holobook is a whimsical journey through a galaxy of hand-painted planets and charming critters. It gently nudges you to be curious, kind, and creative, qualities sorely underrepresented in modern gaming. There are some small annoyances: fonts that don’t match, a few confusing objectives, and an occasionally clunky hub system. But the charm, the worldbuilding, and the sheer wholesome creativity of it all far outweigh any minor gripes.
Pilo may only say three words, but they’ve already earned a place alongside the likes of Kirby and Sackboy in the ever-growing pantheon of lovable mascots. If you’re after a gentle, heartfelt game that’s as much about storytelling as it is about discovery, this one’s for you.
Pilo and the Holobook earns a well-deserved Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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