‘Puzzle game but with a narrative’ is a subgenre that has to deliver said narrative effectively and efficiently to avoid bogging its gameplay down or coming across as pretentious. In Viewfinder’s case, it doesn’t fail in these regards, but it feels like the story was injected for the sake of something to follow along with. Thankfully, the optional nature of Viewfinder’s story doesn’t get in the way of some excellent, brain-racking puzzle-solving that encourages low-risk experimentation.

Viewfinder’s main puzzle concepts are twofold: ‘Overlaying’ pictures into the world and playing with perspective. Puzzles are spaced out between sets of levels that introduce these concepts and new spins on them regularly. For example, you’ll find a picture of a walkway that you can overlay into the world to make it usable in crossing a gap, whereas a later level will require you to make copies of a picture to traverse multiple gaps. The game is elegant with introducing a new concept and letting you play around to understand it thanks to the rewind feature, so even if a puzzle is a real stumper, there’s no punishment for experimenting and/or failing.

The ‘modular’ format of these mechanics means they can be added or removed to levels, changing the tools at your disposal and what possible solutions there might be. In one instance, you’re taught that overlaying a picture into the world can shear away walls that create new corners to traverse, but shearing electronics or power lines renders them broken. You’re given a camera at one point to take your own pictures, but another level will severely limit how much film you get to play with. I encourage you to watch the trailer for a visual demonstration of some of these mechanics, as it’s hard to explain how delightfully jarring these effects can be by words alone.

Save for an instance near the end of the game and occasions where timing is necessary, Viewfinder has a peaceful pace for letting you solve things on your own time and take in the environments. Levels are compact but there are side paths here and there to look for collectibles, optional tasks and explore more of the narrative (despite how swiss-cheesed it is). Viewfinder is backed by a soundtrack that I’d call ‘lo-fi jazz’, sometimes leaning towards one genre or the other depending on the track. Combined with the visuals of a constructed ‘cyber-work space’ with impossible yet pleasing architecture laden with solid, full colors, I was surprised at how relaxed I was during my playtime, even if a puzzle was absolutely trouncing me.

Viewfinder’s only real stumbling point is its narrative. Without going into too many spoilers, it’s discovered that these landscapes your player character is placed inside of were created for the sake of a project. Between audio logs, notes and dialogue, it’s apparent that within the project and the people behind it, not all was well and is what leads to the game’s starting point. It’s all fine and good, however there’s so little information shared between such apparent gaps in time that I found it challenging to keep up - Or even really care to. Most of the lore being shared is just internal musings, resulting in disconnects between the story-telling and gameplay that it’s rare for one ever to recognize the other. The game’s overarching theme of trying to find answers when there may not be one is ultimately undercut by its own ending, complete with an illusion of choice that comes across as disingenuous.

I finished Viewfinder in about five and a half hours, including going after some optional collectibles/levels. Other than going for one hundred percent completion, trying to solve puzzles differently or going for better times, Viewfinder doesn’t have much by way of replay value, making the $32.50 (CAD) asking price steep. With how levels can be solved in open-ended or unintended ways sometimes, I would’ve liked to see a custom-level tool and sharing system as that’d certainly extend its shelf life. Still, for what’s on offer with this elegant, modular way of presenting puzzles and being a pleasant experience altogether, Viewfinder gets my recommendation.