The Steps as we know them

[quote][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/]Follow our curator page: [b]IndieGems[/b] if you like and want to see more reviews like this one.[/url][/quote] [i]The Steps As We Know Them[/i] is a nice restricted-movement path-finding puzzle game using some movements as per usual of chess pieces. While it uses the chess pieces and in some ways imitate the standard moving patterns of the pieces, the actual game has very little to do with chess. The game could be given a completely different skin and would still make perfect sense without the chess pieces. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] The game is set up in a series of 6 chapters/worlds, with sequential puzzles within each. The goal for each puzzle is just to move one side to the other while obeying the set rules for the game. The final puzzle in each chapter requires you to reach the middle tile from any of the edges. There are several different tiles on the board that offer movement alterations or restrictions. The restrictions are easy to follow with a few simple rules, and as follows: 1. The regular tiles are blue, green, and red. You cannot step from one tile to the next same tile. 2. You cannot move between gree…

all I know about chess is how each piece moves, and it's more than enough for [b]the steps as we know them[/b]. in fact, you can go in completely blind, as the game will tell you all the relevant rules as they come up. [b]6 worlds[/b] are laid out like chess boards connected with colored areas serving as separate puzzles. each world features a different chess piece, though their movement doesn't immediately or always match the real thing. for example, the bishop moves like a pawn until it steps on a special purple tile that unleashes its signature diagonal move. the point in each puzzle is simply to get to the other side, like the proverbial chicken. the first rule of chess club is not to step on the same color twice in a row, the second says you can't step from green to red or vice versa, then some slippery blocks get introduced, after that the bishop comes into play, then the knight, and so on. [b]no move counter or timer[/b] and there's a checkpoint after each puzzle. in fact, the game saves every time you enter the colored area, so making a mistake won't only take you back to the side, but to the exact tile you entered the puzzle from. I found this helpful. [b]no undo[/b], b…

The Steps as we know them transforms the classic game of international chess into quite a challenging puzzle game, which fairly quickly ramps up the difficulty as it gets more complicated with the rules and layout of the paths. It provides enough of levels for the player to solve, so you can expect to be playing for a while; Of note, it's good to have quite a bit of patience with this game. Each chess piece's movement is how you find your path through each section of the puzzle, in a board game like setting from start to finish. You can play this game without any prior knowledge of chess, though the movements make more sense if you are familiar with it. The music is rather basic and repetitive, so I would have hoped for more in that regard, so felt that this let down the game. You may still find the music relaxing, but it can get old relatively quickly. The background is just a black screen, which helps to keep focus on the puzzle itself, but perhaps would be more immersive with an appropriate background. Arrows are strategically placed to help the player know which way they need to go. Overall, not a bad minimalist game for lovers of the puzzle genre. Themes: No violence or a…