I got the chance to see a private showing of Pencil Test Studios’ point and click adventure game, Armikrog, at this year’s Game Developers Conference.

In the demo, I was shown off a good portion of the game by Pencil Test Studios owner and animation director Ed Schofield. The game starts off with Tommynaut and his blind alien dog, Beak Beak, after they crash land on a hostile alien planet and seek refuge in the eponymous fortress, Armikrog.

The game is easily a point and click adventure in the purest sense, although it lacks a user interface of any kind. Progression, discovery, inventory management, and puzzle solving are entirely contextual, meaning you’ll be guiding Tommy and Beak Beak to various tools and objects that help you solve puzzles in each room.

Seeing Armikrog in action is something to behold, as I don’t think you can truly believe it (from trailers alone) until you see it running. Each room is painstakingly crafted to not only look fun and unique, but also provide functionality for clues, and puzzles.

“This is part of the Armikrog language, Mike and I actually created a written and spoken language,” Schofield revealed when explaining what some of the in-game symbols meant. “It gets really deep, this is actually a dedication to the tower that you can actually read. The language is called Spiri, and you can actually read it, and care to learn how to speak it. You can learn later on through some of the characters.”

Tommy stores found items in his bottomless chest cavity, which comes off as somewhat of an inside-joke, although it just felt silly and fun every time I saw it. Certain areas require exploration with Beak Beak, which frequently lead to him eating some kind of object, only to regurgitate it back up on Tommy’s shoes, when he returns. You can do this repeatedly, and little touches like this are a testament to the game’s humor.

A lot of the game just shines with inherent humor, whether it’s the somewhat airhead personality of Tommy, the snarky and quick-witted Beak Beak, the various creatures and monsters found throughout the Armikrog fortress, and more. I really loved what I saw and I think Armikrog has somewhat of a nostalgic feel, and not in the “me too” sense. Armikrog looks and feels like something wholly unique, and yet familiar.

While the game does need more time to bake in the oven, the build I saw was already quite excellent and in working order. Tommy and Beak Beak look and move flawlessly, while puzzles, set pieces, objects, and more shine as if they were meant to be played around with in a game. When you see the game being played, it just makes sense, and to be honest I’m kind of shocked it took this long for a talented studio to attempt this.

I think what is exemplary of Pencil Test Studios and their inclusion of lore and various hidden goodies is the fact that you don’t get beaten over the head with it all. This is implied storytelling at its finest, with a clear focus on fun, rewarding, and exploration-based gameplay. Sure, there are hints from characters like “Father,” the creator of the fortress (possibly not his final name), but this gets quickly switched up as you find different types of hints or tips in other areas.

Pencil Test Studios are considering other platforms, but only after their Kickstarter-funded versions have all shipped, including the Wii U version. The Wii U version is coming later because it has features exclusive to it, like the GamePad support.

The mechanics of the game aren’t so much of the resource-hog as much as the creation of the real life set pieces are. Each room and stage that you see was actually built in real life, painted, and properly covered in lighting. Following this, both Ed Schofield and fellow owner and animation director Mike Dietz step in to animate Tommy, Beak Beak, and crew via stop motion.

When asked how Armikrog compares in terms of humor to the classic Earthworm Jim, Schofield compared the two:

“Earthworm Jim was a different type of game with a different type of humor. We’re not below fart jokes and that kind of stuff, but if it makes sense for this world. Humor’s a big part of it, we equate humor with entertainment, and at the end of the day, we want people to be entertained whether it be through the humor, through the gameplay, or just the look and feel of the game. Those are the three areas that we focused on the most for the game.”

I really can’t wait to see more of Armikrog – the game shines with both ingenuity and love, and yet so much promise. Expect a more thorough preview from us as we have gotten our hands on a preview build of the game.

Pencil Test Studios are looking to ship Armikrog later this year on PC, Mac, and Linux, followed by the Wii U a bit later.