Iloilo is a puzzle game where players connect two Safka race figures, ilo, and milo, to finish stages. They begin on opposite sides of the area and must collaborate to reach each other. The two characters can be switched between, but only one can be active at any moment. Levels are set on buildings made of bricks that float in space. The characters must manipulate the blocks to get from one place to another. The camera can be freely controlled. On specific blocks, the characters can walk on the edges of carpets, allowing them to reach the sides or bottoms of blocks, transforming walls into floors while the camera corrects the perspective. The characters may travel around by picking up cubes, which come in various shapes and sizes. Some provide bridges, while others cause them to collapse or stretch across gaps. In most circumstances, one character’s actions assist the other to progress.
Through these two individuals, the game is envisioned as an allegory. They meet every day at a strange park, but when night falls, and they return the next day, the garden becomes more challenging to navigate, much to their chagrin. The many chapters represent the solutions they seek. In one, they cry out in despair at the prospect of never seeing each other again, leading all levels in that chapter to be played underwater. In another, they decide to design maps for each other, making traversing much more difficult. They will eventually find a way to avoid the night that compels their separation and remain together indefinitely. Collecting recollections reveals the true narrative behind the allegory. They fill up a gadget, revealing the characters Ilona Zevon and Milton Foley and their history. As a story about a fox, a huntsman, and his fiancée, a second plot is established through the character Sebastian. Each of the three segments of the story has a distinct visual style.
Other Safkas are also included in the levels. A bonus puzzle is unlocked when every Safka of a given color is saved in a single chapter, revealing the second plot. The chapters are separated into a puzzling paths. The associated levels become available by completing a puzzle until the entire chapter is finished. Characters can also gather photographs and records kept in a separate gallery. The game allows cooperative multiplayer, with two players controlling different characters. The game is then played in turns, although the passive player can highlight critical areas of the level or attract attention to particular objects. This is accomplished with two tiny helpers: oli and Moli.
The subsequently published Windows Apps version, ilomilo+, adds new levels, two new chapters, and three new cubes used as problem-solving tools.
