The core concept, I rate 10/10. The mechanics are truly new and quite interesting for a time, and I think that is why the game gets so many favorable reviews. But the game itself is a massive time sink, and quite intentionally so. At first, the random draws and item drops are interesting. But the problem is, there's too much of everything, too few combinations that actually work together, and mechanics to gain control over the randomness do not keep up with the scope of the puzzles the game throws at you. Expect to play an hour or more in a run, and come out with almost nothing. Repeatedly. If banging your head against a wall run after run, playing for literally a dozen hours just to watch the same pieces almost come together time after time, only to fall apart at the last minute, sounds fun, then go for it! If you value your time, but easily fall into the obsession of needing to find the next piece, then avoid. This game will waste your time, and it will make you feel obligated to continue even when you come out of a run realizing that the experience wasn't even particularly fun. This is an incredible game with one fatal flaw. It does not respect the player's time and values quantity over quality. Just consider, the game doesn't even have an option to save mid-day, and a day could easily take a couple hours to complete if things are going well. Sure, I get the technical reasons why it's convenient to architect your game with limited save information, but that's hardly an excuse for bad design. What if you have to run to go deal something? This is a game that doesn't believe its players have a life outside of gaming, and I think that really tells you everything you need to know.

One of the most unique puzzle games ever made. It has a beautiful artstyle and a satisfying rogue-like style gameplay loop. The music is also incredible and adds and amplifies the unmatched atmosphere of this game. One of the things I like the most about this game is how the more you play, the more you find out. The mystery is deep and gets deeper. Solving the puzzles feels great, both because of the satisfaction of completing the puzzle, and learning more about the story.

Perhaps the best first person puzzle game we've gotten since Portal or Portal 2, if I'm being completely honest. Where this game excels over Portal is how expansive and on-going it is. There is...just so much. Every door you open leads to more doors (unless you run into a dead-end). But it is all magnificently presented in such a way that is relaxing, encouraging, and super exciting. This is a game that you go at your own pace. If you're looking for a simple dopamine fix that you can pick up and resolve in a few hours--this is not that. This is a game that wants you to take breaks, think things out, journal, take notes, sleep on it, etc. I feel it keeps my mind sharp, and puts in the real-life lesson of, "think things out before you act carelessly."