Developer: Out of the Blue Games
Platforms: PC (Reviewed), PS4/5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Genre: Adventure
Publisher: Raw Fury
American Arcadia is a cinematic puzzle game. This game was developed by Out of the Blue Games and published by Raw Fury. American Arcadia was initially released in 2023 on PC, with a recent release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch.
American Arcadia follows the story of a very boring man named Trevor Hills in the 1970s. Trevor is your average Joe who enjoys his dull life as an account manager until he finds out that his co-worker, Gus, is missing. It seems as though Gus has become the winner of a getaway, but Trevor finds something strangely suspicious about the win. As Trevor continues with his ever-so-slightly boring day, he encounters mysterious messages only to find out an unforgettable truth. This led to Angela Solano, who has been watching Trevor through a popular reality TV show named American Arcadia, where residents of Arcadia are unaware of its existence. Angela decides to tell Trevor the truth and help him escape from his upcoming death.
The controls in American Arcadia are easy to work with and have no noticeable delays. As the game begins and sets the scene, the tutorial is displayed with controls and actions that players can try in real time. Nothing is quite out of the ordinary, and if the game introduces new mechanics, it highlights the keybinds. Some elements of the game allow for exploration, where you will notice interactable with a highlighted button so players do not miss out on anything.
American Arcadia wouldn’t be the same without its amazing voice, acting as it really brings the narrative to life. The game’s cinematic vibe is super engaging, and the voice work is a huge part of what makes the experience so immersive. The cast is seriously well-chosen, with each character having their own unique energy. Trevor’s voice totally nails that awkward, nervous charm, while Angela’s voice has this cool intensity with a bit of Spanish that adds extra personality. Even the side characters, from the cold, corporate producers to the weird, over-the-top citizens, add to the game’s mix of tension and humour. Overall, the voice acting is one of American Arcadia’s strongest features, helping to tie together its wild mix of dystopian drama and dark comedy in a way that really works.
The visuals in American Arcadia are one of the elements that pulled me into wanting to play this game. The contrast between the retro-futuristic, 70s-inspired world of Arcadia and behind-the-scenes reality is super well done. American Arcadia features a cool, vintage colour palette with warm tones and soft lighting that gives everything a kind of fake, too-perfect vibe. Resembling the premise of the WandaVision sitcom, where everything is too bright and colourful only to be broadcasted to several people outside of your enclosed “utopia”. One of the charms form America Arcadia is the perspective switching, where everything is intense and sharp, building tension between each scene. The amount of detail that the developers have added into creating set-like designs but also implementing the tiniest of details into the background shows the effort that is added to build the charm behind this game. As you play American Arcadia, you come to cherish and appreciate the elements added to the game, which creates such a cinematic experience, feeling as though I was watching a movie.
American Arcadia is a game that truly roped me in from the beginning. In all honesty, I don’t think I have played a game as eventful and captivating as American Arcadia in a while. American Arcadia features two distinct perspectives but also extremely different playstyles that are balanced exceptionally. Playing Trevor features a 2.5D action-platformer style where you will play intense chase sequences and stealth operations and do your best to evade getting caught by interceptors. The dynamic is a lot more fast-paced, where the chase sequences will have you at the edge of your seat. There were so many moments where Trevor was being chased, and as he scrambled up ledges, the interceptors were right behind him; it honestly felt like he was about to get caught at any second, and I was gritting my teeth at the screen. Even if you did get caught in the sequences, you would be respawned near where you got caught, and at times, it gave me a different perspective on how I could escape the interceptors.
On the other hand, playing as Angela is much more personal. You get put in first-person and are prone to a lot of hacking. You will enter areas that only allow special access, hack cameras, and much more. Angela also plays an important part in Trevor’s escape. As you play Trevor, there are several instances where you can simultaneously hack cameras, open doors or move platforms to aid Trevor’s escape. The sequences between the dual protagonists are entertaining. You can have scenes where you play just as Trevor or Angela, and other scenes will require the assistance of both of them. It is quite nice how you see the relationship and character development form between the two characters the more you play. The creativity behind the flow between the two characters is outstanding. Additionally, the puzzles American Arcadia features are never the same, which gets you to think outside the box. I liked that the puzzles never felt impossible; you won’t find yourself stuck on one for too long, which keeps the difficulty pretty manageable.
I wish I could dive into the narrative of American Arcadia in detail, but I really don’t want to spoil any of the twists and turns; it’s genuinely something you have to experience firsthand. That said, it is one of the most compelling and cleverly constructed stories I’ve come across in a long time. As you step into the world of Arcadia, there is a sense of eeriness by a manufactured utopia, the sense of paranoia that fills up more and more as you encounter the weird occurrences that happen to Trevor. You get put into a world extremely fabricated and seems to play some homage to reality. Imagine the charm and optimism of Walt Disney’s vision, twisted through the dark lens of Black Mirror; that’s the kind of contrast this game delivers.
American Arcadia came out in 2023, and I am only playing it now in 2025; it’s no wonder that the game received all the phrases it did. It took me roughly 7 hours to fully complete the game. American Arcadia also allows players to pick between scenes, which can give everyone a chance to achieve 100% completion. American Arcadia truly delivers a unique experience to players and creates the most thrilling cinematic experience that you get to be in control of.
If you’re looking for a game that combines heart-pounding platforming, clever puzzle design, rich storytelling, and a cinematic atmosphere that rivals your favourite films, American Arcadia is a must-play. With its smooth controls, excellent voice acting, and a narrative that pulls you deeper with every twist, this game is an experience like no other. Even two years after its original release, American Arcadia holds up brilliantly. Be sure to experience American Arcadia and be the one to escape Arcadia.
Overall: 10/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
