18 people found this review helpful
Recommended
0.0 hrs last two weeks / 5.8 hrs on record
Posted: Dec 17, 2022 @ 11:12am
Updated: Dec 17, 2022 @ 11:15am
Product received for free

Fun, challenging and very addictive Sokoban game, with very relaxing music and a chilled vibe.

🎬Gameplay Video🎬
https://youtu.be/wjn2j5d4sRw

🤔Overall Impressions🤔
Puzzledorf is a great little game if you enjoy Sokoban and want to really test out the grey matter. There is a handy tutorial to ease you into mechanics, and beginner levels as well as advanced, so all difficulties are catered for.
There’s plenty of content here to keep you busy for 8 hours plus, and a variety of different modes, and achievements to aim for.

The music is so relaxing and it has a very chilled, vibe to it, even though you may be tearing your hair out trying to solve some of the puzzles.

🕹️Gameplay🕹️
In total there are 170 puzzles to tackle, building up in difficulty, spread over different worlds.

Puzzles are either split into the classic box pushing challenges, where you need to get a box to a certain point in as few moves as possible. Step counts register on local leader boards or contribute to achievements, if you can complete the puzzle in under so many moves, otherwise, you can take as many moves as you like.

The other options are moving coloured boxes on to their corresponding colour; sliding boxes on ice, which brings another set of challenges; and a mirrored section where it’s the same puzzles, but mirrored. For people who have difficulty recognizing colours, these can be swapped for symbols instead.

There is a handy delete button, so you can retrace your steps, or a quick restart button, if you want to have a completely new start.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2902995631

🧩Puzzles🧩
I was really impressed by the puzzles. They are so clever, and reap maximum havoc on your brain. Of course, they start off very simply, and going through the beginners’ levels was quite straight forward, but they will teach you lessons you will need to apply in harder sections. The areas can be incredibly tight to work in, and I knew I was applying the right rules, yet the puzzles still alluded me. A lot of these puzzles contain Eureka moments, and it is very satisfying finally getting the solution.

I found the puzzles getting harder as the game progressed and the boards increased in size. There aren’t any massive puzzles, but just a tiny increase can inflate the step count considerably, and the chances of making mistakes. The game does a good job of managing frustration levels by making the puzzles challenging but achievable. I managed to get to the end of most of the worlds, but they do get very difficult towards this end section, and quite challenging to get there too.

Surprisingly, the mirrored puzzles provided a challenge I wasn’t expecting. I mean, I’ve already done these puzzles. How hard can they be reversed? The answer is just as difficult as the original puzzles, and you need new solutions to solve them.

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The sliding block puzzles are even more taxing, as you have extra worries to think of like adding buffers to stop the blocks over reaching their mark. In these puzzles there are a lot of other items to move, like rocks, which aid in puzzle solutions, and sometimes there are four squares you need to fill, so it can be very difficult.

I got stuck on numerous puzzles, and even had to give the game a break as I just couldn’t solve them. When I returned, I found I completed some I had been stuck on. I think I probably had brain fatigue. The only minor gripe I would have, is that although there is a lot of content, eventually you will hit a brick wall and there is no way of skipping a puzzle and coming back to it. I understand there are lessons to be learnt in every puzzle, but I think a skip puzzle would be welcomed, as some gamers might not ever return to try again, and that would be a shame.

📺Graphics📺
The colours are very bright and the aesthetic is charming but functionable. Everything feels smooth and responsive, even with a controller.

🎵Sound🎵
The music is amazing. I loved it. I can see why it is being offered as a separate purchase, because it is very relaxing and fits perfectly into a puzzle game. I think to be honest it kept me sane with its mellow, synthpop waves of gorgeousness.

🍳Conclusion🍳
Puzzledorf is a very good sokoban game, with smooth mechanics, tantalizing puzzles, enough content to keep you busy for hours, and a sexy soundtrack that is dreamy and relaxing.

If you enjoy puzzle games, it is certainly worth giving it a go, but the lack of a skip puzzle option may deter progress, as the puzzles can be quite difficult in the later stages.

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5 Comments
janner66 Oct 4 @ 3:41am 
Thanks Ashley.

That's always nice to hear. :gs_happy:
Ashley Oct 3 @ 5:36pm 
Just wanna say, your review rocks! It's so full of insights and cool stuff. You really nailed it
janner66 Dec 17, 2022 @ 2:02pm 
Thanks Leon. :retro_beer:

Thanks Two Clicks. To be honest I don't play a lot of Sokoban games, but this one felt really nicely balanced and challenged me just the right amount.
Two Clicks Dec 17, 2022 @ 12:27pm 
Great review. I really need to look at a few of these titles and learn about this genre. Thanks for sharing your view.
S.T.A.R.S Leon S. K. Dec 17, 2022 @ 12:00pm 
<3