Strata (2014)

Feels like a mobile game and gets boring fairly quickly.

Strata is a wonderfully zen puzzle game that nails its minimalist aesthetic — the way each ribbon placement triggers a piano note, building toward a little melody as you complete a puzzle, is genuinely charming and keeps you coming back for one more. The core mechanic of layering colored ribbons so the topmost color matches each square is simple to grasp but satisfying to execute, especially as grids scale from 3x3 up to 6x6 with more colors in play. I will say that once you internalize the solving pattern, the challenge flattens out considerably and the 485+ puzzles start to feel more like meditative repetition than brain-burning puzzles — but honestly, that's not always a bad thing. If you're looking for a chill, beautiful game to decompress with rather than something to stump you, Strata absolutely delivers.

Good way to spend a few minutes working your brain if you're bored.

Reasonably chill interactable toy. Barely contains puzzles; does not contain a game. Larger stages are more complex than smaller ones, but they are essentially the same; they aren't any deeper or more interesting. Would probably still be recommendable if not for the "perfect" mechanic which requires you to use no undos. This makes it less chill, and since the game isn't noticeably challenging or interesting, there's no value to the experience if it isn't chill, either. (Plus, the puzzles are predetermined, so the mechanic is fundamentally meaningless.)

Relaxing, simple and visually pleasing puzzle game. I just wish there was a little more depth to it in terms of mechanics, as it has lots of levels and can become a little boring by the end of it... still it's a recommended one. On the downside, game seems to get no support from the devs as there are glitched achievements reports from years ago as they all unlock early before you complete their conditions. These glitches are still present... but besides that I didn't come across any issues with the game.

Good casual logic game but became a bit tiresome over time