Summary
The ofPaper Mario: The Thousand Year Doorquickly reignited interest in the Paper Mario series. Or maybe “reignited” isn’t a particularly apt turn, what with all that paper involved. It’s certainly interesting to think about just how this parchment-based series not only came about, but turned into its own beloved sub-series in the Mario universe.
It prompts the question, would other games benefit from a similarly tangential spinoff? Paper Mario kickstarted a role-playing frenzy that might have otherwise died down after Super Mario RPG. So it stands to reason that, just maybe, other game series could take the same approach to successfully implement similarly unexpected genres, right?
10Kirby
Paper Kirby Would Probably Somehow Be Less Cartoonish
The little pink (and previously white) sapient stress ball known as Kirby has been yarn, modeling clay, and whatever those monstrosities inKirby and the Forgotten Landwere. So why not take another step into the world of crafting materials and go full paper?
Like Kirby’s Epic Yarn and Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, a hypothetical Paper Kirby would be a perfect excuse to branch out into something new, and fankly, simply making it a turn-based RPG would probably work wonders. IfLike a Dragon can retain its comedic identitywhile going full RPG, then Kirby has this in the bag.
9Hades
Everybody Deserves To Pet Cerberus
As incredible asHadesandHades 2are, you can’t deny that their roguelike core gameplay is basically like a Max Repel for many gamers. Resetting your progress after every defeat can feel like a slap in the face, even if certain Megaera fans would be cool with that.
So why not spin things off into a cutesy RPG, or even another genre for all you curious folks trying to sneak a peak from outside? Developer Supergiant would probably do well to keep the romance aspect in Paper Hades, or fans would revolt at levels that would impress even the French.
8Bloodborne
We Are Born Of The Paper
You already know about thefan-made game Bloodborne Kart, right? It may not be official, but it’s proof that fans will absolutely enjoyBloodbornein unusual formats. Paper Bloodborne would barely test the extent of where this Gothic soulslike masterpiece can go.
A paper version could go in any direction, even something like Darkest Dungeon, which already mastered the dark 2D aesthetic. Hey, it’s not like Bloodborne 2 is coming out anytime soon, and fans might as well get something like this to tide them over until, presumably, the end of time itself.
7Sonic The Hedgehog
Tails Would Probably Just Plummet
Some games could use the Paper Mario idea to spinoff into any number of different genres. ButSonic the Hedgehogmight be best served riding it into a second chance at a turn-based RPG, as no series needs to be defined by Sonic Chronicles.
Despite the near-unanimously poor reception of Sonic’s DS RPG, the blue blur deserves another crack at it, so bring in Paper Mario developer Intelligent Systems to apply their magic to the speed-based rodent and his friends. Come on, you know you want to see Eggman in that art style.
6Baldur’s Gate 3
Only If Scratch Is A Party Member
Baldur’s Gate 3developer Larian Studios has already announced they’re done with the series. So really the only way to get over something so tragic is to go wild with what we have already and let us play a game with an adorable 2D Karlach.
The world andcharacters of Baldur’s Gate 3(and Dungeons & Dragons in general) would lend themselves pretty darn well to a platformer similar to Demon Turf with its 2D little devil in 3D space. Any of the characters with their various abilities could be the star, just imagine Gale flying around holding onto Tara for dear life.
5Final Fantasy
The Only Way To Make Moogles Cuter
Look, it’s clear that theFinal Fantasyseries is no stranger to changing things up. Between strategy, hack-and-slash, fighting games, and whatever Theatrhythm is, these games have been around the block, so a Paper Final Fantasy would offer the chance at something truly remarkable.
Presenting: a Final Fantasy platformer and dating sim; you know the demand is there, just look up Cloud and Sephiroth while being particularly mindful of your safe search settings. The platformer side would helpfully keep things moving between cute flirting scenes, much like that order of onion rings you probably shouldn’t have ordered on your date.
4Among Us
What If The Real Imposter Is The Friends We Made Along The Way?
Admittedly, there’s not a whole lot driving this idea.Among Usis already in 2D with drawn sprites, so the visual work has already been done. That’s pretty much it, all that’s left is to figure out what Paper Among Us would actually entail.
The answer is simple: a dungeon-crawling RPG; you’d go on multiple runs with your party, taking note of how each member acts, and then decide who is the one impostor of the group before a pre-determined ending point. As for the paper aspect, well, how do you think they fit into those vents so easily?
3The Elder Scrolls
Like The Sims But More Sadistic
In another world,Falloutmight have been the perfect test subject for the paper experiment. But that series already hasFallout Shelter, which is basically Paper Fallout, so how wouldThe Elder Scrollsuse such an opportunity?
First off, it would probably be called PaperSkyrimfor the same reason you probably call tissues Kleenex, and second, in the spirit of Fallout Shelter, Paper Skyrim would make a great town builder and management sim. Who wouldn’t want to make their owncharming little Whiterunwith a charming little Cloud District that gets regularly ravaged by charming little dragons?
2The Last Of Us
Just Let Them Be Happy For A Little While
If Intelligent Systems wants a challenge, here it is;The Last of Usseries is everyone’s favorite despair simulator that hurts like a ghost pepper and still keeps you coming back for more. Is it even possible to paper-ify it? Probably not, but it would be fun to see someone try.
Paper The Last of Us could be an opportunity to focus on the quieter aspects of this particular apocalypse if there indeed are any. Remember how satisfying it was to see Ellie and Dina enjoy their brief happy moments together? It might not last, but seeing people finding solace in the apocalypse is always a story worth experiencing.
1Fortnite
It’s Basically The One Thing They Haven’t Tried At This Point
Fortnitehas become the eccentric local millionaire who collects bizarre trinkets with seemingly no overarching theme and invites the townsfolk to peruse their collection. It seems like this battle royale game has touched nearly every genre and twist under the sun, so what’s one more?
The fun thing about Paper Fortnite is that it could be anything. It could just be the same game but paper-style. It could be a variation, like howLEGO Fortnite added a survival twist, or maybe just something entirely off-the-rails, like how the game somehow has a Guitar Hero clone and racing mode, a fascinating new method for Gen Z to further confuse Millennials.
