Mekorama is a new puzzle game from Ratalaika Studios. This game is all about a little man trying to get through some puzzles. The little man in question is just an eyeball with a body. Watching this little guy walk around as the player works on the puzzles is probably my favorite part of the game. While the game might be a little stiff it’s puzzles are decent. Mekorama is a game on Switch that relies completely on its touch screen. It’s been a while since I played a game on the Switch that even uses the touch screen. This game makes use of the touch screen and for that, I must commend it. But, it’s not a perfect game and a little precision can go and will go a long way. Though I must again, give the developers props for using the touch screen at all.
Mekorama is a game that consists of one hundred levels of varying difficulty. The puzzles get harder as the player progresses through them and some of them are daring do’s in their own right. It’s great getting through every puzzle though and watching the little eyeball guy hit his target. The player guides the eyeball guy through puzzles by tapping. They can activate gears and platforms with sliding motions. Players can zoom in and out of puzzles and turn them around to see all of the angles. It’s important to take a look and see where everything is on the puzzle. Sometimes players will need to see beyond tunnels so it’s good to look for other angles. There is something to be said about this game’s inventive use of the camera. Again it’s nothing mind-blowing but simply turning the puzzle around can reveal the answer in clever ways. The game is easy to learn but can often be difficult to master. The touch screen controls aren’t necessarily the best but they work. It might take a little work to get through certain puzzles because the mechanics don’t always line upright. If little hero drops off the map the player will also have to start over and as touch screen is involved this often happens involuntarily. One wrong touch and he falls off leading the player to have to get through whatever tribulation they had gotten passed.
Mekorama also has a level creation tool. While I’m no master of creating, this tool does give the player all they need to craft great levels. Though this crafting tool is going to be easier to use after completing a good chunk of levels. There is a certain physics engine that permeates this game, and players will need to take notes to create solid levels. The tool itself isn’t like other creation tools, as it requires a more exact level of knowledge on how the game runs. he level creator relies heavily on the player knowing how to play the game. Players will want to play through the game to fully utilize the creation tools. It’s great to see the game in action and then build off of its success with the player’s levels. The level creator offers no support so it is up to the player to build their support system by playing through the one hundred offered courses. In the level creator, players will pick and choose parts. They will then place these parts down and begin working to make them move. They will need to playtest as they go to make sure the physics engine does what they want. Once they are done they can deploy the eyeball guys and play their level. It’s great watching a level the player designed work flawlessly and it feels good.
Mekorama is a great puzzle game that offers up a solid amount of content. The puzzles are varied and often challenging, albeit a little tedious. Players will enjoy a variety of levels before making their own that might even be more difficult than the ones the game offers. If the player is dying to guide an eyeball to a goal this just might be the game for them. Mekorama is all about getting a hero to a goal will the player be the guiding light?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided