Jazzpunk is undoubtedly one of the weirdest and most surreal games ever made, but it’s a fantastic experience.

The game, the latest offering from Necrophone Games and the brains behind [Adult Swim], has a quirky pop art style in an alternate Cold War setting where characters take the form of gendered bathroom signs adorned with polka dots and checked shirts at every turn. It’s not a particularly groundbreaking storyline – the player takes the role of an undercover spy tasked with the usual traditional espionage chores – but it doesn’t need to be. Instead, the real joys come from the utterly incredible environment that is created and the sheer humour that just seems to permeate every fibre of the game.

Given the entirely surreal nature of the game world, it feels more vibrant and real than most real world cities. The true experience of the game comes from diving headfirst into the world and exploring every nook and cranny. From magazine parodies bearing titles like Playbot and Reader’s Digestive Organs to an explorable world map featuring ridiculous countries including Electric Qatar and Industrael, the humour can often be a bit immature, but it’s hilarious nonetheless. It’s the little touches that really shine.

In a lot of ways Jazzpunk isn’t a conventional video game: defined not by its story, characters or gameplay, but by the entirely ridiculous world that it creates. If you’re a player that races from mission to mission, following instructions and doing what you’re told, then Jazzpunk isn’t the game for you, but if you want a thoroughly entertaining gag-filled romp through an intricate world filled with wonder and laughter, then look no further.

Joseph Thomas