Steam Gets A New Seasonal Puzzle Game With 6-Sided Stories

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Key Takeaways

  • Puzzle pieces in 6 Sided Stories offer a warm guided experience with glowing hints.
  • The game progresses smoothly from simple to complex puzzles through seasonal themes.
  • DarZal Games’ puzzle creation process mirrors their partnership, focused on shared creativity.

As a seasoned gamer and puzzle enthusiast, I must say that 6 Sided Stories by DarZal Games is an absolute joy to play. The game’s warm and guided experience reminds me of those quiet evenings, huddled around the table with friends, piecing together jigsaw puzzles while sipping hot cocoa.

Experiencing a sense of fulfillment is captivating when a puzzle piece perfectly fits into its intended spot. It’s that brief triumph, recognizing where an item should be. Montreal studio DarZal Games (a fusion of founders Darzington and Zalinus) on Steam crafts experiences to savor these instances more frequently with their game, 6 Sided Stories.

The game’s hint system subtly nudges you, using hexagonal puzzle pieces that gently pulse and shine only when assistance is required. It’s the little, considerate details like these that make solving puzzles feel more like a friendly chat than an examination, demonstrating how inviting these games truly are.

A Season Of Stories

The game takes you on an adventure with a curious cat across four distinct seasons, where the narrative unfolds through intriguingly fragmented images that players must piece together. Unlike traditional puzzles, this game uses hexagonal fragments instead of jigsaw pieces, which can be rotated and flipped to match colors and patterns, thus reconstructing each scene. As developer Nicole Parmenier explains, “I’ve had the experience many players share, where you struggle and struggle, unsure of the solution. Sometimes the game doesn’t offer a hint system, or the hint provided doesn’t seem helpful.

6-Sided Stories presents its puzzles in a laidback manner, showing the entire image initially, much like a conventional jigsaw puzzle box. The game provides subtle assistance through soft glowing indicators when pieces require flipping. Players embark on their adventure in spring with easy-to-assemble patterns, and as the seasons change, the complexity gradually intensifies into more complex winter landscapes. As Parmenier explains, it’s akin to moving from a smaller jigsaw puzzle to a larger one, but the progression is so seamless that the escalating difficulty remains nearly imperceptible.

DarZal Games’ origin story shares similarities with the intricate puzzles they create, each element seamlessly fitting in its designated spot. The duo behind this venture, Darzington and Zalinus (Nicole Parmenier), found their professional journey intertwined even before attending university. Both shared a common interest in computer science, which led them to transform casual weekend game jam sessions into something substantial. “We weren’t confident we would enjoy working together,” Parmenier chuckles, yet those apprehensions soon dissipated.

Building Together

In their debut project, Quest Giver, it was evident that their skills harmoniously intertwined as effortlessly as their daily lives. Currently, Darzington handles programming tasks while Zalinus leads development work; they collaborate on designing puzzles using a unique voice-controlled system. This shared creativity and joint construction permeates every creation they produce.

Instead of drawing inspiration from traditional puzzles, DarZal’s puzzle games are influenced by the calm narratives found in slice-of-life anime. These stories emphasize tender moments and meaningful connections rather than conflict. As Parmenier explains, “Those shows made me feel so comfortably warm.” The goal was to replicate that feeling within the game, which is evident from the seasonal changes to character interactions. Each solved puzzle becomes a small, snug win, radiating warmth throughout the experience.

A Warm Welcome

The game emphasizes the importance of connections on multiple levels. It welcomes players with animal characters, transcending linguistic and cultural boundaries, while the soothing lo-fi music by Purrple Cat, Tokyo Music Walker, KaizanBlu, and Artificial.Music creates a peaceful atmosphere that subtly accompanies you without demanding focus. The introduction of each new puzzle technique seems perfectly timed, as if a friend is revealing something interesting to you at just the right moment.

6 Sided Stories is set to debut on Steam on November 20th, priced at $4.99. This release supports PC, Linux, and Steam Deck platforms. The game offers a variety of 43 puzzles, with completion times ranging from 90 minutes to five hours, depending on the player’s speed and preference. I believe this isn’t a game designed for quick playthroughs. Instead, it’s tailored for those tranquil nights when solving puzzles seems just right.

6 Sided Stories, in contrast to some industries that equate intricacy with substance, offers a tranquil, enigmatic puzzle game experience that truly grasps the charm of solving puzzles.

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2024-11-14 06:23