[h1]A game I can’t stop thinking about[/h1]
tl;dr: [b]This game is brilliant[/b]. It is very long and can occasionally be challenging, but it is never boring. If numbers or math make you recoil, it probably isn’t for you. Otherwise, It’s a [b]strong recommend[/b] if the premise sounds interesting.
This is a fairly in-depth review because I can’t get the game out of my head! No spoilers.
[h3]Gameplay[/h3]
[i]The Message from Deep Space[/i] is a unique, linear, story-driven translation puzzle game where each puzzle builds upon the last. If you’ve read the game description, you get the general premise. The aliens start with math, then move to physical phenomena that they know you’ll understand. But it’s all for a larger purpose: to build a vocabulary that they can use to tell you about themselves.
Puzzle-solving is fine and all, but there’s a bit more to the gameplay loop than that. What’s fun is that [b]you solve puzzles to demonstrate that you understand a concept, then see what the aliens do with it[/b]. And in the back of your mind, you’re thinking, “[i]Why[/i] are you asking me to do this? Now that this word has been defined, [i]how[/i] will you use it? What lore will be dropped?” Then the next transmission comes in, and you get an “aha” moment. “[i]That’s[/i] why you made me jump through those hoops earlier.” It’s very satisfying.
[b]The vast majority of the puzzles are simple. Occasionally, they are not, and you get stuck[/b]. This is usually because there’s a specific word or concept that you’ve yet to accurately define, or you aren't getting the syntax quite right. This only happened to me a few times over the entire game, and I managed to get through it without looking up any answers, even if I needed to brute force a few times. But if you do need a nudge in the right direction, the Steam forums and Discord server are full of people willing to help!
Early puzzles contain a fair bit of math and numbers. Most of it is arithmetic and other simple operations, but I know that type of thing is very difficult for some. I’ll be blunt: if you recoil at math, I would not play this game.
[h3]What Makes it Work[/h3]
This game could have been much simpler: a text-based console where you work it out all on your own. But instead, you’re part of a translation team with an astrophysicist, a computer scientist, and a linguist. They constantly banter and chime in about the puzzles, giving you ideas if you get stuck. The characters are mostly well-written and entertaining, while also giving you the feeling that you’re part of a team. [b]I suggest leaning into this role as a collaborator and listening to every hint they give you[/b]. But if they start to grind your gears, it’s easy to skip their dialogues.
Your colleagues also do more than talk. The computer scientist will slowly add features to your interface that help you solve the puzzles. These include an in-game calculator (from which you can copy and paste) and a small reference library. In the reference library, your colleagues add all of the math, science, and linguistics information you need to complete the game. If the aliens introduce a concept you’re unfamiliar with, it’s probably in that reference library. All you need coming in are basic math and logic skills.
After completing each in-game week, the team debriefs with the boss Dr. Doppler and his goofy, occasionally gravity-defying poses. You then have an opportunity to [b]write a short journal reflecting on that week[/b]. This is a small but very smart feature. It gives you a chance to process the experience, and you then get to re-read it at the end of the game.
[h3]Other Praises[/h3]
The game has a lot of nice QOL features. Get rid of unnecessary distracting stuff on the side? Check. Remove visual distortion effects? Check. Keyboard shortcuts for repetitive actions? Check, though custom keybindings would have been nice.
The game makes it very simple to browse and revise your dictionary. I extensively used the dictionary’s built-in notetaking feature to jot down ideas. It’s also easy to revisit past puzzles and dialogues, which is quite important once you get further into the game.
The custom soundtrack was composed by the developer and fits the game well. 30 minutes of music is unfortunately a little short for a 30+ hour game, so it does get repetitive and I eventually turned it off.
[h3]This Game is Emotional[/h3]
My biggest surprise of this game was how emotional I got. The puzzling process, the NPC dialogue, and the things I learned about the aliens made me feel all sorts of things. I laughed, cried, and everything in between. Maybe that’s because I’m a softie. But make no mistake: this is not some simple math and science game. It’ll make you feel stuff.
[h3]Criticism[/h3]
When a game of this scope is built mainly by a single developer, there will naturally be some issues. None come anywhere close to warranting a thumbs down, but they’re worth mentioning.
[list]
[*][b]It’s looooong[/b]. This game took me 36+ hours to complete, which is massive for a handcrafted story-driven puzzle game like this. You aren’t finishing this one over a weekend. The good news is that very little feels like filler. The aliens usually speak with purpose, and the puzzles all build to something larger and more significant to the overall message. I never felt bored or that things were dragging on for the sake of it. But the best pieces of media, from movies to books to theater to games, leave good ideas on the cutting room floor to let the best ideas shine. This game could have done with a fair bit of that, and I think a couple of the later acts could have been cut almost entirely.
[*][b]The puzzles aren’t perfect[/b]. In a game with this many puzzles, some are naturally duds. Occasionally, prompts and/or solutions aren’t written in the most sensible way, or are inconsistent with prior prompts. Sometimes, the aliens don’t talk so good. A few times, multiple solutions should be accepted but only a specific format or ordering is correct. Occasionally, more hints at meaning would have been welcome. But overall, these issues were rare and minor.
[*][b]Some plot points are a stretch[/b]. Without spoiling anything, I definitely raised my eyebrows at the plausibility of some things we learned about the aliens and their history. I personally didn’t care that much because it’s just a game and I was willing to play along. But it’s the type of thing that could bother you.
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[h3]Conclusion[/h3]
Playing this game was an amazing experience that I won’t soon forget. It’s one of those games you wish you could forget to experience it a second time. While it’s not a universal recommendation, I think you probably know if it’s your type of game. If it is, I can’t recommend it enough.
