App Army Assemble: Mutazione – “Does this point-and-click deliver a compelling story?”

Following its short run on Apple Arcade, the game titled Mutazione from Akupara Games can now be purchased outright on both iOS and Android devices. Given this change, we felt it was a perfect moment to reexamine this point-and-click soap opera and gather our App Army members’ opinions about it.

Here’s what they said:

Jason Rosner

Mutazione is a wonderfully charming, beautiful narrative adventure game. The story’s setting takes place in a rather strange town called Mutazione, where over a century ago a meteor struck down, causing much death while producing strange mutations in those who survived. While tending to your sick grandfather, you discover and learn about the many people, or should I say mutants, that inhabit this area. You quickly realise, however, that all is not as it seems, and this leads to a gripping story that will have you keep going to find out what happens next.

From the get-go, the vivid, meticulously drawn images immediately immerse you, evoking a strong sense of familiarity; the accompanying music enhances this sensation, boasting a movie-quality soundtrack. The leisurely pace of Mutazione is intentional and suits its wealth of content perfectly. The intricate backdrop and polished delivery make Mutazione a compelling choice for any player.

Robert Maines

Mutazione is a charming point-and-click adventure. Years a meteor struck an island and transformed its inhabitants. You play as teenager Kai, visiting her gravely ill grandfather. As you explore the island, you meet many characters and find seeds that I’ll let you grow plants in gardens; those plants may help Kai’s grandfather with his illness.

This game is primarily a dialogue-driven point-and-click adventure, focusing more on interacting with island residents and cultivating plants rather than solving complex puzzles. A useful journal is available to keep track of tasks. Despite being text-based dialogues, the game’s cartoon graphics are visually appealing, and the music adds to its charm. I found this game quite enjoyable and would recommend it to others.

Mark Abukoff

Relaxing is not a word that usually piques my interest in iPhone games, so I honestly went into this with a bit of hesitation. But what I found, aside from the beautiful hand-drawn art and cute mutants, was a wonderfully crafted human story involving a young girl and her grandfather. The music is lovely, the (translated) dialogue is heartfelt and rings true. I found myself caring about them very quickly. There are quests, some mandatory, some not, that weren’t too difficult. A bit of difficulty picking out objects here and there, and a way to know that your progress has been saved. Other than that, it is a lovely experience that I happily recommend.

Diane Close

My impressions:

This is a large game, 1.6 GB download, 2 GB installed.
There are no save slots nor indications of when the game is saving. It supposedly saves on finishing a dialogue or walking between different places, but I found it’s not consistent and/or their definitions were different from mine. I got interrupted by a phone call early in the game and had to repeat half the Prologue despite almost reaching Chapter 1.
This is a voiceless, linear, walk-and-talk narrative with a gardening mini-game.
You are given quests; some are required to be completed in order to move on to the next section, but others only expand the narrative. A lot of backtracking is required.
The hotspots can be finicky!
The music is lovely. The sound effects are near-perfect.
The limited locations nail the day/afternoon/night cycle, with lovely hand-drawn art.
The gameplay is…relaxing, emotional, relationship-focused, with good world-building, and something of a soap opera.
The cast is diverse, as you might expect in a game about mutants. The main character is queer-coded.
There’s an overall mystery that keeps drawing you back: what happened on this island? How did all these people come to be here? Why stay? What do they mean to each other?

If you’re a fan of captivating narrative-driven games like Wandersong, Kentucky Route Zero, Old Man’s Journey, and Spiritfarer, I recommend giving

Jim Linford

It’s a quirky Wes Anderson-style game opening. You play as a girl going to a Mediterranean-style island to visit her estranged and sick grandfather, who also happens to be inhabited by friendly “monsters and mutants” that can talk and live on the island like normal humans. The game is beautifully animated and scored. It is a point-and-click adventure game. Controls are points on the screen, and the character will move on the screen. There is an interactive element to sections, and an icon will pop up. Briefly allowing you to do context-sensitive actions.

The minor issue is that when you walk by, the icons briefly appear before vanishing again. You can only interact with them as you pass. This can sometimes be a bit unpredictable. Nevertheless, I’m thoroughly enjoying the story and its peculiar ambiance. I’m still at the beginning of the game, but I anticipate it will be a poignant tale that tugs at your heartstrings. So far, I find it captivating, and I can’t wait to delve deeper into the island’s mysteries and uncover more of its storyline. I highly recommend it.

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The App Army is Pocket Gamer’s lovely community of mobile game experts. As often as possible, we ask them for their thoughts on the latest games and share them with you.

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2025-07-10 15:18