If you’re not currently playing Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling, you’re missing out. Inspired by Paper Mario—a franchise that Intelligent Systems has disappointed fans with since ~2007, which I can relate to as a devout Fire Emblem fan—developer Moonsprout Games has recreated the series’ mechanics and charm, telling a lighthearted story about bugs inhabiting a cel-shaded world that sports a similar aesthetic as Okami. These are very good games to be borrowing from. It’s crazy how many little things Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling gets right, all the way down to the cheery fanfares and colorful icons and menus. The overarching plot hasn’t come into focus yet, but this is already an easy recommendation.

Based on the screenshots, one major difference between Paper Mario games and Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling is the way you use the same three characters throughout. You play as a trio: Kabbu, an honorable beetle; Vi, an impulsive bee prone to over-the-top outbursts; and Leif, a mysterious moth with magical powers who the other two stumble across in a dungeon. Kabbu is the voice of reason who keeps Vi’s rambunctious outbursts in check. Leif is more of a foil for her outbursts, and he also has some serious baggage that helps push the early story forward. Thus far, all three are likable.

One of Paper Mario‘s smartest design decisions was reducing the amount of damage you can inflict and receive to its absolute lowest point. Its predecessor, the Squaresoft-developed Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars took the first step in this direction, but Paper Mario doubled down on it and Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling follows suit. The same goes for being able to reduce the amount of damage you receive by pressing a button before getting hit, the mid-fight minigames that determine how successful your attack is, and just about everything else you’d expect.

There are sidequests, interesting NPCs, and areas just large enough to convey a sense of space without being overwhelming. Nailing that balance is incredibly important. Meanwhile, the little touches continue to add up into something special. Once you’re free to explore the first village, it quickly becomes apparent that the buildings are made out of cardboard, complete with “this side up” markings. The economy has been perfectly balanced thus far, forcing me to pick and choose between interesting buys without being so prohibitive that I can’t afford anything. If I had to nitpick, it could be argued that the platforming is a little awkward at times thanks to the paper-character aesthetic sometimes making it difficult to get a sense of each character’s exact positioning. Shadows on the ground help a lot, though, and this has yet to become an actual problem.

If you love Paper Mario and/or RPGs and don’t already have Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling, you’re robbing yourself of a really great experience.

Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling impressions (PC/Steam) first appeared on Killa Penguin