CHR$(143)

This is one of the most interesting puzzle games I've played in a while. It feels like the logical next step from Zachtronics' games, in that you're given a set of mechanics to engineer solutions to a problem. Here, though, it's far more open-ended, with a whole physics sandbox to exploit. I haven't even gotten to the later mechanics and I'm having a great time! CHR$(143) is a little-known game - as far as I can tell, only about 2000 people have bought it. As criminal as this is, I have to say I'm enjoying the utter lack of easily-available solutions online - I'm pretty weak-willed and the payoff for solving these puzzles is so much better when you're honest from start to finish. And of course, many thanks to the developer for keeping the game alive and well. If you enjoyed TIS-100, or Opus Magnum, or Factorio, don't miss this one! It'll scratch that itch. I've only beat the first 22 (of 72) levels, so if my hours played is a lot higher than at the time of this review, consider that a further recommendation :3

Really challenging puzzles with rewarding results. Would recommend only to people with lots of time to kill

I like the graphics, let me remember the old days of technology (MS-DOS) Also, each level comes with nice hints to learn how to pass it GREAT GAME DESIGN (Some levels are difficult at the start, so be ready!)

IIII

who can tell me how to play l18?

I built myself a bathyscaphe so small I did not leave any room for air so I suffocated. This game is just BRILLIANT! Do not be deceived by the graphics. It has a steep (somewhat rollercoastery) learning curve - but you can skip levels and usually that helps to understand what were you meant to do in a previous level xD Another minus is sometimes very small room for error in certain puzzles and inability to restart the level with your buildings intact (you can save the layout but you have to build everything from scratch) So 10 points - 2 = 8/10! I LOVE it!

I was initially hoping to get further into this and have more to base my review impressions on, but I seem to have moved on because I can't focus on anything anymore and I don't want to just let it go unreviewed when it's such a criminally overlooked game. I can guarantee this up front: if you manage to get anywhere in it, it's one of those games that you'll never forget. I'm not even sure how to categorize it, as it seems to shift almost between entire genres on a level-by-level basis while retaining the same simple tile-based presentation. You gradually unlock more and more mechanics to keep track of -- which then may or may not be relevant on any given level, and seemingly every time you think the bag of tricks [i]must[/i] have run dry by now, no, it really hasn't. It vaguely conjures memories of old games like Boulderdash, Chip's Challenge, DROD, or even Widget Workshop, while also being not really like any of those. It almost feels like a spoiler to even discuss half of the game's mechanics because of how far out of left field they are, but in the broadest terms I can possibly use, there will be levels focused around exploration, physics puzzles, movement puzzles, logistical puzzles, resource management, and sometimes rather in-depth construction. It has its warts; some very uneven difficulty progression at times, SFX and graphical tiles that are authentically retro to a sensory-assaulting fault (you'll want to find the hotkey for the alternative tiles ASAP if you value your retinas), and some levels that require a frustrating degree of specificity to get the at-times finicky physics to behave. But I'd call it worth double the asking price, let alone if you happen to find it on sale.