Skye's Repose

First of all: Game's early access, so a few bugs and typos are to be expected here and there. Game runs very stable though, I did not encounter any technical issues so far. A few typos were discovered and the developer is actively working on fixing those. With the technical side out of the way, let's discuss gameplay. It's a puzzle game first and foremost, the farming and crafting are secondary. They give you something to do as you ponder how to solve the next puzzle though, which adds to the comtemplative atmosphere. The puzzles range from straightforward to challenging but not to the point of frustration, at least how far I've gotten. They do operate on the game's own internal logic but the game does a good job of explaining it to you. It does so piece by piece as you uncover more of the islands' secrets, as to not rob you of your sense of wonder. I'm usually not a fan of puzzle games but it kept me playing nearly four hours without pause because there was always something to do and I wanted to do it now. For that price, go and get it.

This feels like gathering mushrooms. Which is fun. Naturally there is a lot to improve as this is an Early Access review, but currently the game is in a good proof-of-concept shape. Mana pools work fine, environmental puzzles grant the player a nice tutorial to elemental mixing, or just make them explore the area. I experienced framerate drops after 2+ hours of playing that are fixed upon restarting the game. Gameplay loop consists of gathering elements, combining them and crafting all sorts of progress materials. While wandering around you also solve puzzles - which is the best part. The NPCs are hidden behind orbs and can help you with riddles, they also have plenty of dialogue options to listen to. Graphics work fine, landmarks are well visible. Areas you access feel distinct. There are no framerate differences between the zones. Foliage amount could be reduced to avoid losing the sense of direction at times. To summarize, I enjoyed the game, it has potential for a great 1.0 version. I'd like to see more puzzles, most of all. With how small the team is, every opinion matters -- I hope the dev will get more valuable feedback.