'Papo & Yo's' graffiti is part of the game's authentic landscape

The graffiti and murals in Minority Media's Papo & Yo are an important part of the experience and give the game world authenticity, according to the developer's community manager, Deborah Chantson.

The graffiti and murals in Minority Media's Papo & Yo are an important part of the experience and give the game world authenticity, according to the developer's community manager, Deborah Chantson.

Posting on the official US PlayStation Blog, Chantson wrote of the cultural significance of the graffiti in the game, explaining that in Latin America where the game is set, graffiti is a treasured art form because of its long history with political messaging.

The developer partnered with Latin American artists to license original, vibrant street art from cities like Sao Paulo in Brazil, and Valparaiso and Santiago in Chile. Many of the artists who contributed to the graffiti in the game are well known for their work, such as Sebastian Navarro, Simon Paulo Arancibia Gutierrez, and Inti Castro, who are celebrity street artists from the region.

"With Papo & Yo, the Minority team has tried to create an immersive experience in which players can 'get lost'," Chantson wrote.

"The game has been categorized as fantastical realism, and there's a sort of vulnerability that players will take on, simply by "being" in a new place. With the combination of authentically-inspired landscapes and a personally emotional story, that openness to new things is the driving force behind Papo & Yo."