Archaica: The Path of Light

Very fun and relaxing. Not too long, not too short.

This is a solid puzzle game based around manipulating beams of light to illuminate certain predetermined targets. The pacing is very good, gradually introducing mechanics, and exploring each one thoroughly before moving on. The puzzles, especially later on, are often quite challenging without being too frustrating for the most part. (The optional "stone key" puzzles on variously levels are also an interesting mechanic, setting a more challenging goal for a given set of tools.) The visuals for the puzzles are also quite lovely, such as the way the light is rendered, so it's often fun just to play with the light beams even when you're not sure how to approach a puzzle. The frame story is interesting but I'm not sure I understood quite what was going on there. There is a built-in hint system, too, but I can't say how good it is because I never used it. 10/10

A very clever puzzle game for people who like to figure things out.

Excellent puzzles! I really enjoyed this kind of self-paced game where you can take your time to think without any sense of urgency. One of the best features is that you can resume exactly where you left off—there’s no need for manual saving, which makes the experience very smooth and relaxing. The only minor issue (and it’s not a big deal) is that Steam achievements don’t pop up while you’re playing; they only register after you exit the game. Other than that, I had a fantastic experience. I spent around 30 hours solving all the puzzles and achieving 100% completion, and it was absolutely worth it. Highly recommended!

Good for the mind.

For those that care, the game can be controlled entirely with your mouse, although occasionally using second hand to move camera is easier (WASD or arrows, both available). This game is wildly DIFFICULT WITHOUT HINT. Thankfully for those that want or need it, the game have an INCREDIBLY ROBUST HINT SYSTEM. I received this as a Christmas gift from a relative and it was worth whatever the winter sale price was. It's probably worth full price to be honest if you like these types of games. If you use the hint system the game probably won't be that long, and it won't be as satisfying. If you are puzzling it out yourself then I imagine you'll be here for several hours. For those that care, all the achievements are obtainable and can be gotten in 1 playthrough. They are not too difficult.