''Kajko i Kokosz'' (literally, ''Kajko and Kokosz'') is a Polish video point-and-click adventure game based on the ''

Kayko and Kokosh ''Kajko and Kokosz'' or ''Kayko and Kokosh'' (Polish: ''Kajko i Kokosz'') is a Polish comic book series by Janusz Christa that debuted in Poland in 1972 and was published primarily until 1992. Mixing history and fantasy tropes it is centered on l ...

'' comic-book series about the adventures of two Polish warriors, the comedy duo of Kajko and Kokosz. The game was released for

Amiga Amiga is a family of personal computers introduced by Commodore in 1985. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16- or 32-bit processors, 256 KB or more of RAM, mouse-based GUIs, and significantly improved graphi ...

in 1994, for PC

MS-DOS MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few ope ...

in 1995, and for PC Windows in 1998. It was the first of several video-game adaptations of the Kayko and Kokosh comics. The game was described as a commercial success, despite receiving mixed reviews.

Development

The game was developed by the small Polish "Seven Stars" studio, whose staff mostly came from the studio that had released games mostly for the

Atari Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French publisher Atari SA through a subsidiary named Atari Interactive. The original Atari, Inc. (1972–1992), Atari, Inc., ...

platform. They secured rights to the popular comic-book series "

", and worked closely with the comic's author, Janusz Christa, who drew a number of illustrations for the game. Intro music was composed by Piotr Bendyk. The game was first released in 1994 for Amiga, then in 1995 for PC

, and in 1998 for PC Windows. The first two editions were called simply ''Kajko i Kokosz'', while the CD edition received a longer title, ''Kajko i Kokosz w Krainie Borostworów'' (Kajko i Kokosz in the Land of the Borostwórs). The initial release was not playtested, however, and contained a bug that prevented players from completing the game; as a result, the developers had to recall the first production batch and replace a number of early-sold copies. The game also received official Czech release under the title ''Příhody z Galské Země''. Development of the game was plagued by studio financial problems. As a result, the development team lacked a lead animator and musician, and most game content was static and had no musical accompaniment.

Gameplay

The plot of the game is mostly based on the 1987 comic album, ''Kajko i Kokosz w Krainie Borostworów'', augmented with content related to several other books. The gameplay is a standard point-and-click adventure, with player controlling both main characters, who can travel to different locations on the screen and interact with a number of other characters or objects.

Reception

The "Kayko and Kokosh" comic books were very successful among Polish youth. With the last comic published in 1989, with the comic author's involvement in the game design, and with a successful marketing campaign, the game was able to quickly sell over 20,000 copies, which for Poland in 1994 was considered a commercial success, despite the mixed reviews. Reviewers criticized the Amiga version for an "archaic and unintuitive interface". While the PC version fixed this particular problem, it did not address a number of other matters, such as some annoying and badly designed puzzles, lack of music outside the intro, and simplistic graphics, particularly the limited palette of colors. Many Polish reviewers appreciated being able to see the popular comic franchise on a computer screen, and commented positively on plot and artwork that was faithful to the original comics, while expressing disappointment with the game's shortcomings, which made it appear less developed than many contemporary games developed in the West. The CD version fixed a number of additional errors, removed some badly received puzzles, and added dubbing; however, the dubbing quality was criticized as unprofessional. The game's initial release received a score of 77/100 from the Polish video-game magazine ''Secret Service''. The PC version, reviewed a year later, received a much weaker score, 35/100. Another Polish magazine, ''

Gambler Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three eleme ...

'', reviewed it more positively, with a score of 70/100. The PC CD version received low scores, with the ''

CD-Action ''CD-Action'' is a Polish magazine devoted to video games. Its first issue was published on April 1, 1996. In 2005, an unsuccessful attempt was made to introduce the magazine to the Czech market; only one issue was ever published. References ...

'' and ''Imperium Gier'' portals both rating it at 40/100. Despite the mixed reviews, the game has since been described as a popular, enduring, and even

cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...

game. Despite a number of other Polish games based on the Kayko and Kokosh comics, as of 2020 it still remains the best known.

References

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External links

Downloadable Amiga version the game
freely released by its copyright owner 1994 video games DOS games Windows games Amiga games Fantasy video games Video games with historical settings 1994 establishments in Poland Video games set in Poland Video games developed in Poland Single-player video games Adventure games Video games based on Slavic mythology Video games based on comics