I wish there were more games like this

[axiomizer]

I spoiled the witness for myself by watching playthroughs. I didn't realize how much I would have liked to play it until it was too late. So I was happy to discover this game! It was great, exactly what I wanted. I only wish there was more. I love the process of theorizing about the puzzle rules. You can even test out your theories on the simpler puzzles to gain more information. I like it when the most obvious theory isn't immediately correct. In fact I'd love a game that goes even further with this. I want even more complex rules, with no explanations, just opportunities to experiment and learn. Or maybe it would be cool if there were an institution within the game that had texts, or research materials, that could serve as hints.

Anyway my imagination is going wild. Too bad there aren't a lot of games like this. I checked out games like Myst but I feel like the vibe is somehow different. Maybe it's that the puzzles in Taiji and the witness are very systematic. But then again, there is a lateral thinking aspect to some of the puzzles too. Which actually creates an enjoyable variety.

Also, I love the open-world aspect. I've heard some people criticize the witness and taiji for lack of a clear progression. Not knowing which puzzles you're meant to solve earlier or later. But this works great for me. When I started Taiji I ran all over the island. It felt great to leave an area and try something else when I started getting tired. You know how sometimes you can "sleep on" a problem and it becomes clearer the next day? It's great to be able to leave a puzzle and refresh your mind. You'll feel better coming back to it later. And in the meantime, there's more interesting puzzles to try out.

Anyway this post is quite long so I'll end it here.

[Quote]

I love the process of theorizing about the puzzle rules. You can even test out your theories on the simpler puzzles to gain more information. I like it when the most obvious theory isn't immediately correct. In fact I'd love a game that goes even further with this. I want even more complex rules, with no explanations, just opportunities to experiment and learn.

You would love Understand! It's exactly like this. There's no pretty island to explore though.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1299400/Understand/

[axiomizer]

It's not the same without the pretty island haha. Maybe I'll give it a try though.

[mvandevander]

Originally posted by axiomizer:

It's not the same without the pretty island haha. Maybe I'll give it a try though.

I'd suggest checking out Sensorium, although it is a smaller and less polished game than Taiji and The Witness, it is the most similar game I can think of structurally. It's also on super deep discount at the moment.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1307870/Sensorium/

[axiomizer]

Oh thanks haha. I saw this game before but I forgot about it. I should give it a try.

[LelouBil]

The concept also really reminded me of Tunic, that I played before. If you're not against a zelda-like rpg with a lot of mystery and things to discover and understand give it a try !

[ROLO]

You may have heard of this one but I'd suggest Antichamber. It's not as open as Taiji, but Antichamber is about going through a massive warping maze and solving non-euclidean puzzles. There's a lot of puzzles that depend on your knowledge of the game's mechanics, then there are other puzzles that require a certain upgrade. It takes some experimenting and wandering but I think it's fun.

[Douggie]

This belongs to a whole genre called metroidbrainias. Might not be all small puzzles like Taiji, but the main concept of the genre is that you gain more knowledge throughout playing to solve blockades you've stumbled on before. So instead of needing to gain items to go further in the game, you need to gain knowledge.

There is a bit of discussion about the exact definition, but if you like Taiji you just need to google on Metroidbrainia games and you'll find a list.

Also, if you like physical puzzles, I like to recommend LOK (which you can get in itch.io), which is great!

[~=::Chii::=~]

I would also recommend Manifold Garden as a type of game in the same genre (tho i think the style of the puzzle is different, it's more similar to Antichamber).

https://store.steampowered.com/app/473950/Manifold_Garden/

[mvandevander]

Originally posted by ~=::Chii::=~:

I would also recommend Manifold Garden as a type of game in the same genre (tho i think the style of the puzzle is different, it's more similar to Antichamber).

https://store.steampowered.com/app/473950/Manifold_Garden/

I absolutely adore Manifold Garden, so I would also recommend it. Soundtrack is god tier and on permanent rotation for me. Though if the main draw of you for Taiji was the really crunchy hard puzzles, Manifold Garden is much easier (though it does have some challenging secrets that are worth investigating).

[dogrobot]

Here's another game that's inspired by the Witness, although this one uses sokobon mechanics.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1939040/No_Anglerfish/