Alpha and Iota

If one spends enough time browsing through the various lesser known games released on Steam or elsewhere daily they will find good or even very good games from time to time but it is a rare and joyful day when they stumble upon a truly great one; Alpha and Iota is one of those rare true hidden gems. Playing as a spark that jumps between various objects it possesses and can only exist outside of one for a few moments before being snapped back into the last one occupied (if not making it to a new one first) in a way vaguely reminiscent of Space Station Silicon Valley, in practice it varies between feeling more like a puzzle or a precision platformer but ultimately is very much its own thing. Its most creative choice is the addition of an autopilot system where an object continuously performs the actions it was doing when triggered, it feels like most of the game's most creative set pieces are built around it. My personal rule of thumb is that one of the surest signs of a game's quality is when it is clear that the developer is intimately familiar with all the various aspects of its central mechanics, and that is revealed to be true at several points during Alpha and Iota up to and …

Alpha and Iota is the best puzzle game I have ever played. Full stop. With a single-dev game you get the measure of the person behind it, and this creator clearly knows their stuff. Every level is chock-full of interesting puzzles to solve, so many that it might be overwhelming if not for the conduit mechanic, which keeps you moving in the right direction. You've never played a puzzle game quite like this; the ejection and autopilot mechanics feel strange at first, but once you become used to them they make for a platforming and puzzle experience unlike any other. The assist features are helpful for a slow-reflex-having lady like myself, and without them it poses a challenge that should be satisfying to the most seasoned gamer. The characters are great, Iota in particular is such a lovely little guide to the System, and it is so rewarding to see the world change in response to your progress. I also love the music; the developer composed all the pieces, and the music lends itself brilliantly to the strange, otherworldly nature of the System. In short, I loved this game. 10/10.

A mix of puzzle platformer and challenge platformer. The challenge is partly figuring out how to complete a segment, partly execution. It's programmer art, but there are good ingame reasons for this, and it lends the game a lot of character. The mechanics are really and truly like nothing else.

16 reviews at the time of writing this..........16....... It's crazy to me that a game of this quality, care and passion remains so unknown to the majority of players. Controls like a dream on Deck. Good writing. Fun mechanics. Super low price. Two very big thumbs up from me.

This is a [i]wonderful[/i] puzzle platformer. Currently I've reached the credits and am starting to dig into the (seemingly very substantial) post-game, but I can't imagine it won't end up as one of my favorites in the genre. The mechanics are original and thoroughly explored with cleverly and subtly designed puzzles, and the way the action ramps up at the climax satisfied my twitchy gamer side. Shout out to the soundtrack, a great accompaniment to puzzling.

A surprisingly well made Puzzle Platformer with deep mechanics and a good story to boot! -I always felt like doing just one more puzzle / zone / checkpoint, I didn't want to stop once I was in the flow -New mechanics keeping Puzzles fresh even after the Main Story -The amount of nuance and complexity in even the simplest mechanic is mind blowing -Surprising amount of characters with distinct personalities. -Really well executed Story. Overall the amount of Playtime and enjoyment I got at this price point is an absolute steal.