Super fun and scales up the difficulty really well. It was really interesting finding new strategies as each level required more thoughtful planning. (And top of new and popular puzzle games on itch rn :)
With all due respect to the gorgons, they're facing a real scalability problem with their dungeon. The more adventurers they petrify, the more hiding places they create for other adventurers, who will be able to progress deeper. Any chartered dungeon surveyor would likely advise them to scope out larger premises or to abandon their current grid-based 2d set-up for something involving ray-tracing.
Ahhhh, but you see, watching you struggle in a situation that's just barely possible is how they have fun. Let me tell you, there are no statues in this pit that the Gorgons did not leave there on purpose.
Another fun game from this developer. It's deceptively simple, at first I thought I would merely go around the obstacles but it quickly becomes challenging yet fair in how that tiny constraint made me think and rethink each potential solution before I found the right one.
The simple graphics serve the game well and the effects work, too. I did feel a real sense of tension, even though there's no bigger penalty than 'Undo some moves or restart the level'.
It doesn't overstay its welcome and I found myself wanting more. I wish I could write up pages about this, but you should try it yourself!
I have not eaten in 2 days. There is ample water, but the cold gaze of my captors leaves no flesh to consume, no meat to grasp. I know that there is nothing to fear so long as I possess the power of Undo, but that does not change the horrid gnawing I experience each time I lock eyes with one of their number, that chilling feeling of one's bones locking in their sockets, one's skin turning crusty and rough, one's gaze inexorable trapped in the clamp that has claimed so many desperate souls. I am lucky enough to have a means of escape from that worst of fates, and yet still I remain huddled here, paralyzed by indecision.
It is not truly the petrification that kills the heart and mind in the gorgon's nest. No, a gorgon kills you twice, last with eyes, but first with fear. I have seen no bones, no corpses, but I am certain there must have been others like me here too, others were sat curled up in a corner, too afraid to take another step or even raise their heads to look. Perhaps they eat them, moving silently in the dark when there are none there to witness it, when night falls and they become the rulers of this earth once again. This is their labyrinth, after all, and the lab rat's path must always be clean. Alas, I have lost all drive to go on. This last nest shall be my grave.
To any fellow pitiable fools who find themselves caught in this piercing snare, I leave to you my advice. I can only hope the heads find reason enough to leave my notebook amongst the detritus, even as they remove my corpse.
1. You may think of yourself as an expert in analysing stone blocks, but there is an additional hurdle within this realm. Remember: A head that faces one direction can never be pushed from that side. Through analysis of this fact, the possible number of objects to place upon each goal becomes clear. The power of statues is to be moved in all directions, so long as the room they are present in is not lined with inescapable glare. If you have access to one with room to use it, then it may be integral to pull it away as a shield before returning it to its place.
2. If you too possess the power of Undo, as I once did, you must not be afraid to trap yourself in one timeline. If you can undo the passage of time and see that which was hidden, you will fear no trap, for it will be obvious to you. Do not be afraid to push heads and blocks to determine what lies under them, for it is integral to understand if a goal is lurking only to be revealed when you feel triumphant, ruining your plan. Similarly, if you willingly create an insoluble problem early on, it can allow you invaluable time to experiment with a later part of the puzzle. Finding a solution for the end and then working backwards to how to create that situation is a valuable tool.
3. Solving a Gorgon's Puzzle eventually becomes a game of cutting off options. You must eventually leave yourself with one means of escape, shielded only for one last move. You cannot be afraid to experiment with arrangements that may one day trap you. Solving within your mind is risky and will leave you staring deep into a gaze you forgot to consider. Just move ahead with confidence. Do not become paralyzed in fear, as I have, for the greatest defeat comes from giving up. There is no going back. The only out is forwards.
...I think I have had enough of this paralysis. I will not let myself go as a miserable sack of bones, discarded in a forgotten corner. I am sure this conviction will come across as nothing more than enjoyable madness to my captors, but I see it as the one eay I can strike back. If there is truly no hope for me, then perhaps I can at least be of use to you as a shield
i appreciate the confidence of introducing complications in the very first puzzle, not wasting any time before making demands of me and trusting me to put together how everything works on my own. each stage felt like a little story the way my understanding would accumulate in layers, realizing precisely what constraints were acting on me, deducing how different objects or parts of level geometry did or did not fit into different parts of the equation.. each clear was hard earned, never falling into my lap without a fight (stage 9 i kinda fell into a solution while i was poking around before i really had a handle on the level, but i still had to prod pretty persistently to get there), nor did any level push me to the point of exhaustion or hopelessness. in short, just the right balance for me of having to pay attention and think about what i'm doing on the one hand and keeping a sense of momentum going on the other. good stuff! ps it never fails to surprise me how expressive a 5x5 puzzlescript sprite can be
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Phenomenal! Just the right amount of challenging. I've been sucked in for the last hour!
Thanks so much for playing, glad it's treating you well!
Really fun!
Level 8? Any suggestions?
A player left a nicely-written hint for level 8 in the comments over on bonte games! My friend Narf also posted a full playthrough on youtube.
YES! THANK YOU NARF!!
Nice, quick game. Very much enjoyed.
Had a lot of fun with this, really enjoy the thematic touches. Puzzles got pretty tricky in a fun way. Nice work!
Super fun and scales up the difficulty really well. It was really interesting finding new strategies as each level required more thoughtful planning. (And top of new and popular puzzle games on itch rn :)
What a lovely game!
With all due respect to the gorgons, they're facing a real scalability problem with their dungeon. The more adventurers they petrify, the more hiding places they create for other adventurers, who will be able to progress deeper. Any chartered dungeon surveyor would likely advise them to scope out larger premises or to abandon their current grid-based 2d set-up for something involving ray-tracing.
Ahhhh, but you see, watching you struggle in a situation that's just barely possible is how they have fun. Let me tell you, there are no statues in this pit that the Gorgons did not leave there on purpose.
The eat the rest.
Another fun game from this developer. It's deceptively simple, at first I thought I would merely go around the obstacles but it quickly becomes challenging yet fair in how that tiny constraint made me think and rethink each potential solution before I found the right one.
The simple graphics serve the game well and the effects work, too. I did feel a real sense of tension, even though there's no bigger penalty than 'Undo some moves or restart the level'.
It doesn't overstay its welcome and I found myself wanting more. I wish I could write up pages about this, but you should try it yourself!
ENTRY 9:
I have not eaten in 2 days. There is ample water, but the cold gaze of my captors leaves no flesh to consume, no meat to grasp. I know that there is nothing to fear so long as I possess the power of Undo, but that does not change the horrid gnawing I experience each time I lock eyes with one of their number, that chilling feeling of one's bones locking in their sockets, one's skin turning crusty and rough, one's gaze inexorable trapped in the clamp that has claimed so many desperate souls. I am lucky enough to have a means of escape from that worst of fates, and yet still I remain huddled here, paralyzed by indecision.
It is not truly the petrification that kills the heart and mind in the gorgon's nest. No, a gorgon kills you twice, last with eyes, but first with fear. I have seen no bones, no corpses, but I am certain there must have been others like me here too, others were sat curled up in a corner, too afraid to take another step or even raise their heads to look. Perhaps they eat them, moving silently in the dark when there are none there to witness it, when night falls and they become the rulers of this earth once again. This is their labyrinth, after all, and the lab rat's path must always be clean. Alas, I have lost all drive to go on. This last nest shall be my grave.
To any fellow pitiable fools who find themselves caught in this piercing snare, I leave to you my advice. I can only hope the heads find reason enough to leave my notebook amongst the detritus, even as they remove my corpse.
1. You may think of yourself as an expert in analysing stone blocks, but there is an additional hurdle within this realm. Remember: A head that faces one direction can never be pushed from that side. Through analysis of this fact, the possible number of objects to place upon each goal becomes clear. The power of statues is to be moved in all directions, so long as the room they are present in is not lined with inescapable glare. If you have access to one with room to use it, then it may be integral to pull it away as a shield before returning it to its place.
2. If you too possess the power of Undo, as I once did, you must not be afraid to trap yourself in one timeline. If you can undo the passage of time and see that which was hidden, you will fear no trap, for it will be obvious to you. Do not be afraid to push heads and blocks to determine what lies under them, for it is integral to understand if a goal is lurking only to be revealed when you feel triumphant, ruining your plan. Similarly, if you willingly create an insoluble problem early on, it can allow you invaluable time to experiment with a later part of the puzzle. Finding a solution for the end and then working backwards to how to create that situation is a valuable tool.
3. Solving a Gorgon's Puzzle eventually becomes a game of cutting off options. You must eventually leave yourself with one means of escape, shielded only for one last move. You cannot be afraid to experiment with arrangements that may one day trap you. Solving within your mind is risky and will leave you staring deep into a gaze you forgot to consider. Just move ahead with confidence. Do not become paralyzed in fear, as I have, for the greatest defeat comes from giving up. There is no going back. The only out is forwards.
...I think I have had enough of this paralysis. I will not let myself go as a miserable sack of bones, discarded in a forgotten corner. I am sure this conviction will come across as nothing more than enjoyable madness to my captors, but I see it as the one eay I can strike back. If there is truly no hope for me, then perhaps I can at least be of use to you as a shield
Please, don't give up.
I like how the medusae are stationary but also obstacles... we usually imagine her as more animate don't we?
i appreciate the confidence of introducing complications in the very first puzzle, not wasting any time before making demands of me and trusting me to put together how everything works on my own. each stage felt like a little story the way my understanding would accumulate in layers, realizing precisely what constraints were acting on me, deducing how different objects or parts of level geometry did or did not fit into different parts of the equation.. each clear was hard earned, never falling into my lap without a fight (stage 9 i kinda fell into a solution while i was poking around before i really had a handle on the level, but i still had to prod pretty persistently to get there), nor did any level push me to the point of exhaustion or hopelessness. in short, just the right balance for me of having to pay attention and think about what i'm doing on the one hand and keeping a sense of momentum going on the other. good stuff! ps it never fails to surprise me how expressive a 5x5 puzzlescript sprite can be
Lovely game! Didn't quite get to the end but I really enjoyed it. Will try to finish it later.