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Puzzling and Compelling

I'm the kind of player who encounters most puzzles, give it a few shakes of the whippet, then quits and looks for a walkthrough. Something like The Lone Chameleon isn't my usual choice of what to play, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's a clever game that I didn't find frustrating, even when I was stuck on a room for quite some time. Each time I made it past a particularly tricky room, oh man that felt good!

The gist of each puzzle is that you want the four figures to stand on color-coded diamond tiles to open the door, then each figure has to exit by that door. Opening the exit is only half the puzzle, and many of the room challenges come from navigating each figure through it.

These figures are undergoing a trial from a mysterious, hostile voice. As you advance through the rooms you learn more about why you're there and what you're being tested for, and although the game is sparse on dialogue, I still got a sense for the basic personality of each figure we control. Each color has a descriptive title that the voice refers to them by along with a unique abilities. The Athlete, for example, can jump across gaps and help the other non-jumping figures jump, while the Mystic can protect the others from enemies that freeze them in place.

Some of the puzzles are solved using quirks of the orthographic projection style RPG Maker uses, which was fascinating and gave the whole thing something of a surreal quality. The rooms never felt repetitive or boring despite having the same goals in the end, as new mechanics were sprinkled throughout and then layered on top of each other.

I didn’t put any screenshots in this review as the ones on the gamepage give you enough of an idea what you’ll see, but I did think the art was nice. The music is relaxing ambiance, too -- important when you’re stuck on a particularly challenging room. That being said, there are some anti-frustration features, like being able to undo certain moves, retry a room at any point, or ask for specific hints if you really get stuck. These features went a long way towards making this a fun experience and really helped me get into it.

Even if, like me, you're not a huge fan of puzzle games, this is one that's worth giving a try! It has so few downloads, but it’s a solid puzzle game with some delicious food for thought, and a cornucopia of accomplished feelings as you make your way through it.

Posts

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Cap_H
DIGITAL IDENTITY CRISIS
6625
Intersting, I started to play this some time ago with an intention to review it, but found some things, which were off-putting for me. The pace was one of them. I would probably give it 3,5 stars.
Part of the motivation for the 5 star review is to get more people to play and review, since I know 5 stars don't tend to last long (I do genuinely think it's very good, mind you, but different opinions are also good to get!)
InfectionFiles
the world ends in whatever my makerscore currently is
4622
To be honest, a 4.5 review is just as inticing! Without motives :p
Thanks for the review Buddy, this is the best possible reward!
Good reviews restore my motivation.
Bad reviews help me make the game better.
I don't mind having both ;)
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