Boinihi: The Ki Codex Reviews

Boïnihi is a marvelous journey. A discovery. An initiation. Boïnihi is without a doubt the most accessible of the games in the Black Cubes saga. And like every previous opus, it can be played without having played the other opuses. The Black Cubes is the most opened and interactive game's series ever, which can be done in the order you want: over the finished games, the player gradually reconstructs the backdrop that serves as the universe, and can then return to the titles previously played with the newly acquired knowledge of this world if he wants to understand more details. No matter which opus you start or end, therefore, the canvas ends up revealing all its riches. Boïnihi is, of course, the last game created in the saga, but it is still probably the best to start the adventure, while offering to the previous players the last piece of puzzle that leads the Black Cubes in a pure apotheosis. Boïnihi is a cult game that has become essential to the series since it was released. Boïnihi is above all an adventure game. Suddenly, many of the gamers afraid of this category will flee, giving way to reckless players who appreciate various intellectual challenges. But this game offers more : here, exploration, dialogues, meticulous observations lead the player to decipher a mysterious codex, and learn about the spectral host who attracted him to this place. Displaying impressive graphics, this game is made with the Visionnaire games engine which has repeatedly proven its effectiveness. The atmosphere is relaxing, conducive to meditation, enhanced by pleasant music and successful visual effects. In Boïnihi, the independent French developer Simon Mesnard has planned everything so that the adventure is less off-putting as possible: the puzzles are less complex than in the previous opuses, integrated help allows to reveal the interactive places in the decorations, an AI gives many clues when the player blocks, the manipulations to be performed are clear and intuitive, the gameplay is more dynamic using the keyboard in addition to the mouse, ... This is the most technically successful opus in its variety interactions. In this last opus, Simon Mesnard also offers a wide variety of sets, places, puzzles, dialogues, interactive objects, and gameplay, to offer a title extremely well balanced in difficulty and interest. Very difficult not to appreciate this game which has become one of the favorites of fans of the saga. It is hard to imagine that such a game was the result of the work of one person. Exciting, rich, accessible but offering many challenges, captivating, original, Boïnihi is one of the best games released this year. Magnificent ! If you were hesitating to get into BlackCubes, with Boïnihi you have no more reason : go for it, you'll love it !

The game is so fascinating with really good story and quite good mechanism. I really enjoy playing it. I recommend the game to anyone that likes mystery and entertaining game. The puzzles are sometimes quite hard to beat, but if you concentrate and play the game, listen, read notes etc. the story revolves easier and puzzles are solved easier. Nice work!

[i]A beautiful Sci-fi puzzle game with a relaxing pace and a deep story.[/i] Boinihi is the fifth opus in the Black Cube series but the first one to be played at the 3rd person. It has an hybrid gameplay where we control the main character movements with the keyboard while the exploration of the screen is done with the mouse as in traditional adventure games (left-click to interact with an item, right-click to open/close the inventory). Pressing the F key also highlights any clickable items on the screen. We start the game without knowing anything, only to understand that we play as a lone astronaut who just landed onto an unknown moon, and that he will have to explore it to uncover and understand its secrets. The astronaut movements feel a bit clunky at first and the interface needs a bit of time to understand it, but after some getting used to, we are free to roam through 4 beautiful worlds that clearly have some Asian inspiration in their design. Paying attention to details, reading everything carefully and taking notes on paper is mandatory to solve puzzles and progress in the game. Helped by the mysterious moon inhabitants and the ship AI, we will find a mysterious codex whose design was inspired by the Voynich manuscript, but proved itself to be much easier to translate. After a thorough exploration of the moon flora, we will also learn how to brew herbal teas and make essential oils while meditating. Great care was taken in the design of the different worlds as well as the different books and documents in the game. I was very impressed to see how similar-looking the codex content was to its famous model. The game is a pleasure to the eyes and I enjoyed taking the time to observe every little details the dev has ingeniously embedded in its design. Several videos are progressively available during the game and reveal more about the game lore as well as its making-of. Do not hesitate to also check the bonus folder in the install folder to find more videos, the beautiful game soundtrack and a preview to a comics giving more insights into the game story. I definitely recommend this game as any other games in the series to anyone who enjoys deep Sci-fi stories and puzzle games.

Another "really want to like it but..." It's just not really grabbing me. Coming into the series part way through might not help, althoughI can work around gaps in my knowledge of what had gone before. But the game, I'm just not finding it all that interesting or fun to play.

This is a remarkable game. I've played other Black Cube games so was familiar with a part of the back lore. Boinihi took me a little while to embrace. At first, it felt slow and the interface is a bit awkward at times. I kept wandering in a circle. But, the art is interesting (Asian themes), the voice acting easy to listen to, and the music is a beautiful score by Yazorius. Finally, I effected a change and I became totally captivated. Time stood still for me as I worked through each challenge that was presented and it took me more hours than I like to admit to work through it all. The game involves travel between 4 islands, interacting with the 'ghost' of Boinihi, and learning about the history and horticulture of the planet/moon. The plant gathering became more than an exercise as you translate the Codex and begin brewing and distilling. The attention to detail, on all levels, by Simon Mesnard, is simply unbelievable. I especially enjoyed the embedded bonus videos that provide some insight into the Black Cube game lore and the making of this game. This is a game for those who want to immerse themselves in an 'other worldly' and very serene experience. It requires patience, a calculator, and pen and paper. And, you have to be able to follow directions! It is a game that makes you feel really good when you finally solve a puzzle and start to see the pieces of the environment come together into a unified whole. Kudos to SImon for a work of art that was obviously a heroic effort of love and dedication!