| Snakebird | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Noumenon Games |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | Linux, macOS, Windows 4 May 2015 Android, iOS 21 July 2016 [1] |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle |
Snakebird is a 2015 puzzle video game developed by Swedish studio Noumenon Games. [2] The sequels Snakebird Primer and Snakebird Complete were released in 2019 and 2023, respectively.
In each of the game's 53 levels, the player controls one or more characters, known as "snakebirds". Gameplay consists of moving the characters around a 2D grid, with movement similar to Snake, except with gravity along the y-axis. The objective of each level is to maneuver the characters to a goal, while collecting fruits that serve as objectives and avoiding obstacles. Collecting fruit increases the length of the characters, which usually makes it easier to navigate the levels. The challenge of the game arises from needing to control multiple characters in a way that builds towards reaching the goal, and the indirectness of the solutions. [3] [4]
Snakebird development began as early as March 2013. Development of a prototype continued for the Ludum Dare 27 game competition in August 2013, but the game was not submitted to the competition. [5] The game was released for PC on May 4, 2015. [6] It was later released on mobile platforms in 2016. [7]
| Snakebird Primer | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Noumenon Games |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Puzzle |
Snakebird Primer was released on 20 February 2019. [8] The sequel contains 70 levels, and is regarded as having been made substantially easier than the original to appeal to a wider audience. [9]
| Snakebird Complete | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Noumenon Games |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Puzzle |
Snakebird Complete, which contains all the levels from Snakebird and Snakebird Primer, was released for the Nintendo Switch on 24 November 2023, [10] and for PC and Mac on 29 December 2023. [11]
Snakebird received positive reviews, with critics citing its visual design, describing it as "cute" while contrasting that aspect with its difficulty. Comments included Kotaku's description of the game as a "wolf in sheep's clothing" [3] and Pocket Gamer stating that "If it wasn't totally passé to call things 'the Dark Souls of,' I'd call Snakebird the Dark Souls of puzzle games". [12]
Touch Arcade rated Snakebird's iOS release five out of five stars, commenting that the game felt more natural played on a mobile device. They also praised its visual design, animations, and backgrounds, but commented on its difficulty, describing it as "tough" and stating that it was not for everyone. [7]
Eurogamer praised Snakebird Complete for its level design, the conciseness but trickiness of its puzzles, and its nonlinear level selection map. [13]
In 2019, Baba is You developer Hempuli Oy described Snakebird as "probably the singular title that has most affected Baba Is You's design". [14]
A team of researchers in 2020 found that small changes on the game levels can have a large impact on the length of a solution. [15]
Edge is a puzzle-platform game developed by Mobigame for PC and iOS devices. The objective is to guide a rolling cube through maze-like levels and reach the goal. Originally released on the App Store in December 2008, it has been removed and re-added to the store multiple times due to a trademark dispute with Tim Langdell of Edge Games, concerning the use of the word "Edge" in the title. This had caused the game to be briefly released as Edge by Mobigame and Edgy, before ultimately returning to the App Store under its original name in January 2010. The game was released on multiple platforms including mobile phones, PlayStation Portable, Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS. It was released on Steam in August 2011 by publisher Two Tribes.
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Gururin is a puzzle arcade video game developed by Face, with the assistance of Minato Giken, and originally published by SNK on May 25, 1994. It was the first game to be created by Face for the Neo Geo platform and it was not released on the Neo Geo AES (home).
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Grindstone is a 2019 puzzle video game developed and published by Capybara Games. The game revolves around the player completing levels by clearing enemies using attacks. It was originally released for macOS, iOS, and tvOS through Apple Arcade on September 19, 2019. Its Windows release was exclusive to the Epic Games Store, until 20 of June 2022 when the game was released on Steam.
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is a roguelike puzzle game co-developed by Vine and Yacht Club Games, and published by Yacht Club Games. A spin-off of the platform game Shovel Knight, the player takes control of the namesake adventurer as he becomes trapped within a magical artifact, the Pocket Dungeon, and is forced to fight his way out while battling other knights who befell the same fate.
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