This game is an absolute disaster and I mean that as a compliment to the fullest extent. It's disjointed, off-putting, and sometimes downright obtuse, and due to design decisions these traits make it shine so bright.

Baobabs feels experimental at all times, with gameplay rapidly shifting, NPC dialog ranging from mission critical to incomprehensible rambling, and tone rapidly pivoting from Twin Peaks worship to retro game nostalgia at the drop of a hat.

You play a detective, arriving in a strange town full of cryptids and maniacs, hoping to find a way out and help folks along the way. You'll shoot fireballs, drive golf carts, blackmail politicians, catch rabbits, go to the movies, gamble like crazy, and battle extremely traditional bosses before reaching the end of your journey, the constant theme of every display being that this is the designer's game and you're just living in it.

And that's beautiful. Perfect games are boring and clinical, games like this, even if jumbled and hard to play at points, bring back an untarnished fun from the early industry, where fun came first and limitations were adapted as best as one can after.

If you hate games with rough edges, have little patience for self-led exploration, or want a game to remain consistent in mechanics, then you should run away now screaming. But if you want to play something really really really all over the place, take a walk into town and suffer for a while. You might have a memorable time doing so.