Changes Reviews

A journey into pattern generation and geometrical puzzle solving. One of the most interesting and unique sokabons you'll ever play. Don't get discouraged if you get stuck, the entire game is a museum, available for you to wander around and enjoy at your level!

disclosure: i did some pre-release playtesting on this game, and i know the developers personally i should note that i haven't finished this game at time of review (there's lots more here than what i've played), but i want to call some attention to this game as it could really use more eyes as the description states, the game is inspired by Conway's Game of Life, something i wasn't familiar with before being introduced to this game, and introducing a player piece to that system produces a lot of curious results. solving puzzles inside of these rules creates a kind of science, where the player learns to use specific techniques for movement, destruction, and creation to solve the problem. it feels like trying to control chaos, and even the smallest mistake can often result in your attempt literally blowing up in front of you which brings me to the next point of curiosity: solving a puzzle in this game is just as satisfying and encouraging as any other puzzle game known for its challenging, thought-provoking puzzle design; but failing to solve a puzzle here can produce results that are often just as satisfying. a lot of puzzles here are structured around trial and error, especially since every cellular consequence of pushing a block even one space can be nearly impossible to keep in my head all at once, so often i will create spectacular failures that produce beautiful emergent patterns and chain reactions from the elements that start the puzzle. sometimes, simply sitting back and watching as the patterns coalesce, destabilize, and eventually re-stabilize, can be valuable for solving the puzzle or other puzzles. often it's just valuable to see the emergent patterns the full game is structured like an open museum, with different exhibits based around different themes. a puzzle in one exhibit can help you learn how to solve another, so it's usually a good idea to stop and come back to one that you're struggling with. and on struggle: i think the game does a good job of soothing the player out of frustration and rage-quitting not just through its design, but its color tones and droning BGM with notes that arise out of player action. if the two primary ways a player interacts with a puzzle game like this are thought and execution, then the "thought" stage of a puzzle is accompanied by droning, calming music that invites deep thinking with minimal distraction, and the "execution" stage is literally punctuated by the notes of the player and the living and dying cells around them this is an extremely cool and unique puzzle game, and you are in for a treat if you decide to jump in. i know i have an inherent bias writing about a game made by some close friends, but trust me when i say i believe whole-heartedly that my words of praise have more to do with the quality of the game itself than with the connection i have with the people who made it. this game could use your eyes and ears, and i don't think you'll regret giving it a try

Got this game the first week it was out, and I'm really enjoying it so far! If I had to describe it succinctly, I would say "challenging and relaxing at the same time", which is difficult to pull off! The music combined with the surreal visuals give it a serene and engrossing quality, yet the puzzles are very challenging so it feels really satisfying to solve them! This game is good for being able to just block out the outside world and get lost in this colony of living cells and solving the puzzles to set everything right! I also really liked all the esoteric text blurbs about the cells and the original John Conway game. They make me reflect and wonder what these cells are really like. I also really like the poetry and quotes that come up in some of the text cells, they really tie in with the themes of the game, and make it a more all-encompassing artistic experience! That kind of depth is greatly appreciated! [b]TL;DR[/b] I definitely recommend picking this game up if you like puzzle games, especially ones that are calming and relaxing yet very challenging/rewarding at the same time!