DaRmaZat On the surface, Finding Polka looks like a simple, cozy adventure about a girl searching for a lost dog. You play as Frendy, who, while out with her Dachshund Jazz, suddenly spots a French Bulldog that looks just like Polka, her dog from childhood. Before she even realizes it, the two of them are already chasing after him. As you progress, however, it becomes increasingly clear that getting hold of Polka won’t be easy, as it seems like just about everyone wants to get their hands on the highly sought-after dog.
A Treat for the Eyes and Ears
Naturally, the first thing that stands out about Finding Polka is its ballpoint pen art style. Each environment is hand-drawn, with the pen strokes still clearly visible, giving the world’s varied biomes a cartoony, playful style that is incredibly detailed and makes the whole thing feel like a giant sketchbook brought to life. Although most of the game is presented in monochrome, it occasionally throws you into surprisingly psychedelic moments, where shapes and colors suddenly swirl and shift in a hypnotic, trance-like display.
Finding Polka constantly plays with your emotions, too. Not everything is cozy, happy, and carefree – there are also moments of uncertainty, loneliness, and even anxiety. What immediately stood out to me was how well the audio complements these shifts. The soundtrack is surprisingly diverse, with plenty of beautiful, culturally diverse melodies, while the environmental audio also does its fair share of the work. One particularly eerie section takes you through a dark tunnel, where the constant rumbling and rushing sounds perfectly capture the sense of unease you would expect from such a moment.
More Than Just a Search
Although Finding Polka is mostly a walking sim, there is more to the exploration than simply following the streets. Quite often, you need to figure out how to get somewhere, sometimes by finding a hidden passage or by completing a small fetch quest centered around a particular item. You can also scan QR codes with your smartphone to uncover additional background information.
Interaction is essential to the experience. You are expected to engage with the world rather than simply walk through it. At certain points, you also need to keep holding down an action button to activate special abilities that help you make your way through the busy, yet artistically impressive environments. And yes, you will be picking up dog poop from the very beginning. This is not a one-off joke either, because cleaning up poop remains a recurring activity throughout the game.
There are also several optional minigames, including hitting moles back into the ground with a hammer against the clock, racing a speedboat, and collecting the required amount of coins. None of this is particularly difficult, but difficulty is clearly not the point. The focus is on being immersed in a world that constantly throws cultural and social references at you. Those references range from obvious nods to E.T., Mary Poppins, and Super Mario Galaxy to more playful concepts, such as an alien-filled area simply numbered 51.
A Gentle Adventure With Plenty to Discover
Finding Polka is also remarkably forgiving. Checkpoints are spread generously throughout the world, so you are never forced to replay large sections after failing. You cannot really die either – when you fail an objective, your position is simply reset. Some moments require you to act a little quicker, but for the most part, the game remains a relaxed experience.
The level layouts can occasionally be misleading, though. You may walk toward what appears to be the correct route only to find that you cannot quite make it through, or even feel as though the game is deliberately sending you in the wrong direction. At times, this feels more like padding than meaningful exploration. That said, it’s understandable given that Finding Polka can be completed in just a few hours.
Nevertheless, there are plenty of secrets to discover if you want to look beyond the main path. Collecting everything is not necessary, however. The more interesting reason to explore is the game’s two endings and figuring out how to reach the better one.
Final Thoughts
Finding Polka is a short, charming experience that stands out through its beautiful ballpoint pen artwork, varied soundtrack, and willingness to shift between playful, cozy, unsettling, and surprisingly emotional moments. Its simple puzzles and minigames rarely provide much of a challenge, while some of the level layouts feel like they are stretching out an otherwise brief adventure. But if you approach it for the experience rather than the challenge, there is plenty to enjoy in this strange little world – especially if you take the time to look beyond the beaten path and uncover what lies beneath the story.
Additional Information
Release Date: August 11, 2026
Reviewed On: PC. Download code provided by the publisher and PR agency.
Developer: lidlocks
Publisher: PARCO Games
Relevant links: Available via Steam.
