sepapu

[b]7/10[/b] A set-packing puzzle game with the most elegant UI I have ever seen. Beware! Very pricey for what the puzzles provide. [b]What is it:[/b] Art? Puzzles? The moment you start Sepapa, you can tell this game is different. A grey haze spreads out over your screen, it darkens with a small dot pulsating in the middle. Click on it and your mouse cursor transforms into a small glowing personage which becomes your avatar throughout the entire game. Move the mouse slowly and it walks, speed it up and Mister Glowy takes flight. Every action with your mouse is accompanied with a cute animation from mister glowy. The dev states, “Over time, the tech I used to build [Sepapu] evolved. This game is a 4 year, slow-cooking side project that at the end, became my main focus.” The tech is definitely on display here. I am accustomed to bare-bones puzzlers where every ounce of energy is instilled into the puzzles themselves. Sepapu is different. The storefront states the puzzle rules aren’t explicitly stated and must be inferred from interaction - this can also go for navigating the interface to find these puzzles. It took me much longer than expected just to figure out how to find …

A cozy, somewhat trance-inducing puzzle game. The aesthetics of the game are very intentional, and focused on not breaking your immersion from the meditative sand-garden: there are no explanations or tutorials, and the main menu is diegetic. In that sense, the puzzle-ethos runs through every aspect: "figure it out yourself". Also, your cursor is a little dude! I have not been able to find a "quit game" button. Beware: clicking "Stop" in steam erased my progress. Alt+F4 works fine however.

Although I am not an expert on the 8 Queen puzzle, this is a very nice little puzzle game, with lots of little pieces, each with a different rule that you must arrange correctly, taking into account that the order you place them in has its importance. There is no dialogue or tutorial, it simply presents the puzzles in a graudually complex way. It may not be very clear at first glance what each of the pieces do, so careful analysis is required (I usually get it after using it for one or two levels). Difficulty is not too high; I'm getting stuck at times but I'm not very good at these puzzles, yet I didn't need a walkthough or help (for now). Also, the art direction is really nice! You choose a level the same way you play it: by taking and placing little runes in the right place. The sand effect is nice, and your cursor is a little guy that walks and rolls around the sand when you click! :D One small request: I couldn't find a Quit button in the menu. It's either not there, or too well hidden. Alt+F4 works fine, but it's a somewhat "rough" way of exiting a game (and you're never quite sure if a game will save your progress correctly when you do that).

Watched Thinky Games play this and I knew I had to buy it after seeing the cursor character and zero game explanation. This game does not hold your hand. it was fun figuring out the game and the rules as you go, trial and error. Enjoyed the ending and [spoiler] the secret puzzle to unlock the ending[/spoiler]

One of the best puzzle games i have played in years, short and sweet with a great vibe :)

Satisfying and atmospheric puzzle game with lots of fun surprises along the way!