If that sounds like an allegory for alcoholism and drug abuse, you’d be right. Creative director of indie developer studio Minority, Vander Caballero, relates his tale in the PlayStation US Blog:
”Well, the tale told in Papo & Yo is about myself and my father, a good man but also an evil one. Like many, he used alcohol and drugs to cope with a challenging life, and I was caught in the middle of it. The emotional core of this game is ultimately a fable about my relationship with my father.
“Quico, our young hero, is a boy who lives in the Favelas in South America. His best friend and protector is Monster, a large beast that loves Quico. But Monster is addicted to frogs, and when he eats them he is transformed into an evil killing machine, his fury pushing him to destroy everything that is around him — including Quico. Quico’s only chance for survival is to find a way to cure his best friend.”
While the developer is based on Montreal, the game has a real South American feel, straight it sees from the Andes, as you can see from the teaser trailer for the game.