Indie game developer Morgondag just launched its sophomore title to follow the successful launch of Rymd Resa. imprint-X is a simple puzzle game with a very complicated backstory. If you like pushing buttons and solving pattern-based puzzles, you'll want to give imprint-X a try.
What is imprint-X all about?
It's a spacey-themed sci-fi game where players act as a hacker clone, trying to release humans from being enslaved by a computer race of nano bots called Wardens. To hack into the system, you'll need the right sequence of button presses.
It starts out really simple. You might almost think it's the most boring game ever to be made. You'd be wrong in your thinking. It takes about eight levels for things to get complicated, but puzzles get much harder to solve by level 10.
By the time you've finished the first "world" (unlocked the next intellect), puzzles get more difficult and really step things up. At first, you're simply pressing buttons that light up, in order. Eventually, you'll have to figure out a very specific sequence with less help from glowing yellow lights. There are also a few action levels, where you must tap the screen at a specific time to defeat the enemy. These could almost be considered boss battles because they take place toward the end of a world and have multiple steps.
What makes it interesting?
The game mechanics are somewhat unique in that you have a limited number of times to press a button before you run out and have to start over. Sometimes, the number is very low; sometimes there are many presses. "Moves" or button presses aren't the only things to watch out for, though. On any given level, you might have to press buttons very fast in order to unlock something within a certain amount of time. Other times, you might have to press the same button multiple times to unlock something.
Each world is different and has a different puzzle style to work with, but still fits within the overall theme of the game, so you're not totally jarred away from what you're familiar with.
Is it any good?
I played through the first few worlds and, at first, I thought it was kind of dumb. But seriously, after you get to the second world, things get really heavy. The puzzles get super complex and interesting, and you can never tell if you're doing it right until its either too late or you've won.
The graphics are a pleasing bonus, too. For a minimalist puzzle game, this one has fairly detailed art and illustration. If you strip it down to its nuts and bolts, the game should just look like some simple shapes, but the game's developer took some extra time to bring the elements to life and even create an interesting backstory for why you even want to press all these buttons.
If you have a thing for pattern sequencing, plus an eye for spatial reasoning, you are really going to dig imprint-X.
Where can I get it?
imprint-X is available on iOS in the App Store now. It is, however, also launching across a number of platforms today, too. It is also available on Steam, the Mac App Store, Google Play, Humble Store, and Itch.io. The desktop version runs $4.99 and the mobile version is only $2.99.
- imprint-X - $2.99 - Download now
