reky
Very challenging, but fun! Minimal in its conception with use of color to contribute interest. Unique use of cubes in ways to motivate one to seek the solution, but forgiving in its offerings of undo the previous move or restart the puzzle. Refreshingly creative!!
– Real player with 50.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best Beautiful Indie Games.
Beyondthosehills, one indie games development studio which comes from Greece, it have two works-Reky and The Minims(This review only according to Reky). As a puzzle game, it accomplished the mission which the ability of solving conundrums from players is leveling up with the difficulty of it.
The diversity of gameplay make more possibility
From the most simplest way that only need to move one cube on the specified site to create a path through the shift and the cooperation of two types of colors, then the changing of cubes which have many colors, the difficulty of it is increasing slowly, from one to ten. No obvious up and down display on the difficulty, the whole difficulty carve is a little uneven, but the tendency is steady. The design of levels includes many ways, such as going to the end with rising and downing cubes or crossing many black portals to escape. Not only can get fun with exploring the right path by myself step by step, but also can experience the double difficulty from the adjustment of colors and blocks under by the same frame.
– Real player with 24.9 hrs in game
Aurora Hex - Pattern Puzzles
aurora hex is similar to the developer’s previous game, aurorabound deluxe . you’re trying to recreate colorful patterns in both, but in this game you’re bothering hexagons instead of squares. it is also somewhat similar to loop .
– Real player with 29.7 hrs in game
Read More: Best Beautiful Puzzle Games.
Visually pleasing minimalist puzzler.
Almost same genre as jigsaw puzzles, but feels different.
UI & Visuals seem a bit more refined than the first title, while retaining a similar feel to play. :)
(Currently up to late World 1, out of 20 worlds, at time of review.
Also has Daily puzzles to unlock & Infinity mode to unlock)
– Real player with 0.7 hrs in game
“Glow Ball” - The billiard puzzle game
Glow Ball - The Billiard Puzzle Game has a really great concept. A puzzle game where you use the mechanics of a pool table, but instead of a pool table, you have a series of balls and unusual “tables” and pockets.
The glowing balls and shadows make the game look great, too, despite the otherwise lazy minimalist/low poly environment. Unfortunately the controls are finnicky, and the puzzles are more frustrating than enjoyable (admittedly I am not the best at billiards to begin with). If the game was a little easier this would be a great casual puzzle game. The $5 asking price is a little high given the issues with the game. It’s hard to give a thumbs down to a game I wanted to like, but couldn’t.
– Real player with 34.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Beautiful Atmospheric Games.
Pool with puzzle elements, seems like a nice combination, right? Well, I guess the idea could be nice if it was well executed, which “Glow Ball” sadly does not.
I do not have any problem with games that do not have superb graphics but Glow Ball’s graphics are amazingly ugly in a way I find it amazing people are able to create these kind of graphics in 2014. Especially the main screen looks atrocious and almost funny.
The gameplay could have been interesting. Like in regular pool you will have to shoot your balls in the holes, the only difference here is you will have to avoid fire traps, canyons and other contraptions. The only problem with this is that the physics are nothing like real Pool, which is ofcourse one of the most important things that should be right in a game like this. Then there’s the power bar of the cue which is very slow and does not make much of a difference.
– Real player with 3.8 hrs in game
BAFF F
third
– Real player with 0.5 hrs in game
Land of Ngoto
So far I am enjoying this game. It’s quite surreal and abstract. Love the logic puzzles in it so far. My only issue is the animation and audio seem to be choppy at times. A lot of the audio during the opening scene cut out completely, and it appeared to skip a couple of times. I don’t know if it was the game itself or if it was my system that was causing it. I am running Windows 10 on a system that’s at least 5 years old (belonged to my mom, then she let me have it a year-and-a-half ago when I made noises I wanted to save up for a new desktop with gaming capabilities).
– Real player with 12.5 hrs in game
This is a hard one to review. It’s definitely not a great game. Pretty much everything about it is mediocre, except for the phantasmic atmosphere and a few clever puzzles. Even then, not all of the puzzles are good.
• The intro and ending to the game are extremely tedious. The ending is literally 5 straight minutes of walking through a flat, barren field with nothing to look at or do.
– Real player with 2.5 hrs in game
Minimal Maze
Short, but enjoyable. The difficulty gradually increases but it never really gets tough.
– Real player with 3.4 hrs in game
Great puzzle and Challenge levels! Very well placed at each stage very well polished progressively. excellent work, congratulations.
– Real player with 2.5 hrs in game
sfäre
The brain doesn’t come with an Off switch, and most of the time this isn’t a problem. For when that is an issue there’s sfäre, the audiovisual rest stop for a mind forever wandering. Like all the best toys there’s no wrong way to play with sfäre, and its simple controls allow for a near-endless stream of entrancing new patterns that gently twist and pulse in a relaxing yet fascinating display.
A series of lines emanates from the center of the screen, and four crystal orbs sit in the corners. Each one controls an aspect of the pattern. Playing with them instantly reveals the lines are made of endless small dots that can be twisted into new and complex arrangements.
sfäre isn’t so much a creation tool as it is a voyage of discovery, seeing what beautiful new imagery can fall out of its tools. Even an off-center pattern can become lovely, simply by tapping either the horizontal or vertical mirror buttons. Receive the full-on kaleidoscope effect by using both at once.
The entrancing visuals are backed up by an equally chill soundtrack, with different tunes available and a changeable color palette to go with each one. While sfäre isn’t meant as a music visualizer the sounds and patterns fit together perfectly, and you can either try to build a pattern that matches or simply play, knowing that there’s no wrong way to synchronize its sights and sounds.
When the real world calls again you can rise up from sfäre, with the benefits of a moment of peaceful play having made everything just a little better and more manageable than it had been before.
How to play
Sfäre is an experimental visual and musical experience. It’s a bit like watching clouds fused with a Rorschach test.
There is no goal in sfäre, there are no points, no achievements. Sfäre is a toy to sooth your mind.
Take your time and relax. There is no reason to rush. Let your imagination wander.
For total relaxation turn on the show mode and watch how particles create beautiful images on their own.
Rotate spheres to change patterns and music. Experiment with the buttons.
You can mirror half of the screen for symmetrical effects, this makes it more likely to find relatable figures and shapes.
Invert the visuals for a fresh musical experience while maintaining your creation.
Features
Sfäre currently contains 3 different musical compilations. Due to a high amount of randomization the experience will be different every time you play.
🔴 Circles
Circles has an interesting concept with a minimalistic lookout.
The player controls a small circle that has to meet another, a bit bigger circle, of the same color. On the promotional video it looks a bit messy what is going on the screen, but it is easy to figure it out while playing.
Every level has a slightly different mechanics - some are very easy while some require patience or precision. There are 4 extra modes to unlock - they add extra mechanics to the regular levels.
There is no counter or failures nor “no death” achievements. The player can fail as many times as needed and is not being punished in any way, which is great.
– Real player with 5.8 hrs in game
You are a circle and need to go from circle A to circle B by moving your mouse.
That’s the only input you need.
There are circular obstacles in your way which you mustn’t touch.
Their diameter increases or decreases depending on your movement or they move depending on your movement.
There are different types of circle obstacles:
Popper: linear to your moved mouse way increasing diameter to a specific value and then decreasing it to zero and then endlessly repeating the loop
Mover: this circle moves along a circle way when you move.
– Real player with 3.9 hrs in game
Celestial Reactors
🌞 The World
On a terraformed planet, the complex stack of sentient infrastructures called the Mnemosyne Technologies constitute an artificial biosphere.
Long after any human subsist, the world is controlled by these singularities.
The artificial intelligences’ resources are invested into a research program and simulation named Celestial Reactors.
The purpose of the experiment is unclear.
🌞 The Experience
This game is focused on discovery : you are invited to explore, observe, and experience out-of-this-world places.
The story is conveyed through the environment and symbolic imagery.
🌞 VR features
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Room-scale experience
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Gaze interactions
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Controller support
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Hand-tracking support (Leap Motion)
Choco Pixel 6
Almost identical to Choco Pixel, Choco Pixel 2, Choco Pixel 3, Choco Pixel 4 and Choco Pixel 5, except for a couple of new ideas.
Minimalist puzzle game with 50 levels. From level 1 to 30, it is pretty straightforward, but then, some of the levels are very challenging. And as far as I am concerned, I really like this mix between easy and difficult levels, I enjoyed playing this game.
One of the main issues was that, sometimes, after working out a solution for a difficult part of a level, you have to be careful and think about how to get out of this part of the level. If you make a mistake, you will be stuck with no way of getting out, so you will have to restart the level, and try to remember how you solved the difficult part, which is not always easy …
– Real player with 1.6 hrs in game