Paper Bride

About Paper Bride

Paper Bride was released on Steam in December 2021 by HeartBeat Plus, and its mobile version is published by Funny Game. It is the first game of a long series on phones; this page is about the first one.

The makers say they wanted to share the horror of Chinese folk stories, naming Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio and Extensive Records of the Taiping Era, and elements such as paper figures that block the road, marching underworld spirits, strange temples and ghost traps, which they found are rarely used in games.

The story begins at a wedding. When the groom turns to his bride, her red wedding dress turns into a white paper one and she disappears. The feast and decorations have turned to paper as well. You play the groom, searching scene by scene for her, solving puzzles and meeting strange figures as you learn about a dark mystic custom in the bride's village and a story buried in the past.

The painted scenes show twin brides in red and blue, a memorial altar with portraits of an old couple, a wedding feast laid out by candlelight, a Taoist priest in blue robes and an abandoned hut in grey mountains. The fear comes from folk ritual and dread more than chases. It suits players who like Detention or Firework and want puzzles rooted in Chinese tradition.

How to play Paper Bride

1. Start at the wedding and watch the bride vanish.
2. Explore each painted scene by clicking on objects and people.
3. Collect items and use them where they fit.
4. Solve the puzzles, many built on folk symbols and rituals, to open the way forward.
5. Follow the clues about the bride's village to uncover its custom and its past.

Tips

• Read every note and inscription; the puzzles often rely on the customs they describe.
• Look closely at the backgrounds, since items are drawn into the scenery.
• If a puzzle seems unclear, think about what the ritual in that scene is meant to do.

Questions