The Plague Doctor of Wippra

The Plague Doctor of Wippra is clearly a bleak, gamified examination of a dark period in human history; what makes it bleaker is its illumination on just how little has changed. Despite our modern comforts and conveniences, human behavior under duress seems to remain constant. And in the midst of all these cascading, convoluted moving parts, The Plague Doctor of Wippra asks players to think carefully of their choices, knowing that sometimes, the best of two evils is the best one can do. If you’re seeking a short-lived point-and-click journey through time where the choices really, really matter, The Plague Doctor of Wippra is accepting patients.

The Plague Doctor of Wippra is a puzzle-focused point-and-click adventure published by Application Systems Heidelberg. Having played Unforeseen Incidents earlier this year, I was excited to explore another of the titles that they published. Did this game live up to my expectations? Find out in this Rapid Review.

The Plague Doctor of Wippra is a wonderful and logical adventure that motivates me to play it a second time hoping for a different ending. A few more possibilities to have your own decisions is the only thing I was missing.

It’s worth seeing for the unique setting, but its brevity, lack of character and worldbuilding leave The Plague Doctor of Wippra feeling rather underbaked.

It doesn't make any strides in advancing the genre, but brevity, timeliness and an allegorical story mean that The Plague Doctor of Wippra's gameplay faults can mostly be overlooked.

While it’s a short, compact and competent point and click adventure at face value, The Plague Doctor of Wippra works best between the lines. A thinly veiled examination of the human condition during a health crisis, the game explores how little has really changed since the bubonic plague and the Middle Ages. If you like your adventures games to be deep rather than funny, this one is for you.