2024: Mosaic Retrospective

About

"2024: Mosaic Retrospective" is a puzzle game that has you completing a 60,000 piece grid to reveal a pixel art collage of major news events from the previous year. Using numbered clues, similar to Minesweeper, you uncover light tiles to gradually reveal the mosaic. The game offers dozens of hours of meditative and challenging gameplay, with the option to listen to your own music or the built-in soundtrack. The game supports UNICEF fundraising.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 332 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game offers a relaxing and engaging puzzle experience, combining elements of Minesweeper and Picross, making it enjoyable for puzzle enthusiasts.
It's completely free, providing hours of entertainment and a unique way to recap significant events from 2024, which many players found informative.
The gameplay is simple yet addictive, allowing players to unwind while listening to podcasts or music, making it a great time-killer.

The game often presents dark and depressing news stories as rewards for completing puzzles, which can detract from the overall enjoyment and relaxation intended by the gameplay.
Some players found the political bias in the news snippets to be off-putting, feeling that it overshadowed the fun of the puzzle-solving experience.
The game can become tedious over long play sessions, with some sections feeling overly large and repetitive, leading to a sense of burnout.

gameplay
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
60%
7%
The gameplay is generally well-received, offering a relaxing and engaging experience reminiscent of minesweeper, sudoku, and nonograms, with simple mechanics that encourage logical thinking without overwhelming players. While it provides a satisfying challenge and can be played in bite-sized sections, some users noted that it may become tedious once the mechanics are fully understood. Overall, it is praised for its chill vibes and accessibility, making it a solid choice for puzzle enthusiasts.
- “A combination of minesweeper, sudoku, and nonogram, this game is set in smaller sections of the mosaic which could act as 'levels' if you want to divide gameplay into bite-sized chunks.”
- “As a puzzle, it's solid: simple logical mechanics that don't demand too much in the way of long chains of deduction, but frequently rise above the obvious, keeping it smooth, engaging, and consistent, just the thing to decompress with.”
- “With its easy-to-understand gameplay, customizable options, and clever puzzle layouts, this game is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a challenging and satisfying journey through logic-based puzzles at no cost!”
- “Granted, I'm not that good at minesweeper, but I feel like most reviews are just not addressing the fact that if you want to play this, you either have to know minesweeper pretty well because it does not explain anything to you at all regarding the gameplay.”
- “If you’re looking for fast-paced action or complex mechanics, this won’t be your thing.”
- “It's a logic game with mechanics just different enough from minesweeper to trip up both me and the household's PhD-level mathematician... whose specialization is heavily based around mathematical logic.”
music
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
60%
8%
The music in the game is generally praised for its relaxing and pleasant qualities, featuring two distinct soundtracks: zen and bossa nova. Many players find the music enhances the overall atmosphere, providing a cathartic and unwinding experience, although some feel it may not be suitable for extended gameplay sessions. However, a few users expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the music does not fit the puzzle-solving experience well and opted to turn it off entirely.
- “This remarkable sense of melancholy also has an elevating effect on the light, pleasant jazz soundtrack, lending it powerful cathartic properties exceeding what could ordinarily be achieved by this kind of music in isolation.”
- “Also, the 'zen' soundtrack is absurdly beautiful and relaxing!”
- “The music is pleasant to listen to (more piano-y than guitar-y this time) and the whole thing can be completed with mouse only.”
- “What didn't make for a very enjoyable solving experience is, once again, the music for this game.”
- “The first thing I did after listening to the music for about a minute was go to the options menu and turn it off completely.”
- “The music does not really fit this kind of puzzle very well.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The humor in the game is noted for its ability to provide comic relief amidst serious themes, with users finding certain news stories particularly funny. However, there is a desire for a version that focuses solely on positive and humorous content, as some players feel overwhelmed by the darker aspects of the narratives presented. Overall, the humor is appreciated but could benefit from a more uplifting approach.
- “Honestly, it's very funny seeing a bunch of people proudly proclaiming 'yes, I am a pissbaby' in response to a game that pretty neutrally reports stuff that happened in 2024 while raising money for charity.”
- “Also, some of the news stories included in this were very funny, which helped to alleviate the despair at being reminded of some of the very serious and depressing stories.”
- “But I would love to see a similar retrospective with only positive and funny things.”
- “I don't want to be reminded that drugs have infested our oceans or that Musk made a useless department with a really unfunny acronym.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes a unique emotional tension by blending joy and anticipation with the inevitability of bad news, creating a meditative experience that resonates deeply with players. Its ability to balance uplifting moments with emotional weight enhances the overall impact, making the journey through the puzzle grid both engaging and poignant.
- “This introduces a certain emotional tension, unlike anything I've ever felt from a game: the pure joy of filling in the puzzle grid drives me forward, even knowing that I'm likely to be 'rewarded' with a surprise of bad news.”
- “It’s subtle, almost meditative, but it knows exactly when to swell and carry you through the emotional beats.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's pixel graphics are highly praised for their cleverness and evocative quality, showcasing the talent of the developers and designers. The distinctive art style captivates players from the outset, and the customizable in-game settings allow for a tailored visual experience.
- “It never fails to amaze me how pixel graphics images, including those in this game, can be so clever and evocative - all credit to the developers and designers who produce such excellent pictures and montages.”
- “The art style is the first thing that grabs you.”
- “The in-game settings can be adjusted to fit your preferences; you can invert colors, modify input controls, toggle error warnings, and select your preferred graphic resolution.”
- “The graphics in this game feel outdated and lack the polish expected from modern titles.”
- “The character models are poorly designed and look like they belong in a much older game.”
- “The environments are bland and uninspired, making exploration feel tedious.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its stunning minimalist design, with visuals that resemble paintings, complemented by a pleasant and relaxing ambiance. Players can further enhance their experience through customizable music options, fostering a calm and soothing environment.
- “It's stunning in a minimalist, atmospheric way that makes every frame feel like it could be a painting.”
- “Players can personalize their experience, creating a calm and soothing atmosphere.”
- “+ pleasant, relaxing atmosphere with two nice music options.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game can become tedious, especially after mastering the mechanics, though there are still challenging sections that keep the experience engaging for those focused on completing the puzzles.
- “This can lead it to becoming a bit tedious, but if you're aimed at completing the puzzle, there are still some challenging sections.”
- “If I had any criticism, it is that, like I said, it can become tedious once you get a good grasp of the mechanics.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The story effectively utilizes muted tones and sharp contrasts to enhance its themes of memory, perspective, and the passage of time, creating a visually and emotionally resonant experience.
- “The muted tones and sharp contrasts match the story’s focus on memory, perspective, and the passage of time.”

Buy 2024: Mosaic Retrospective

2024: Mosaic Retrospective
See offer on Steam

72h Median play time

72h Average play time

72-72h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

97%3.3kreviews

Hexcells

2014

Casual Puzzle

90%733reviews

SquareCells

2015

Casual Puzzle

88%1.5kreviews

hexceed

2021

Casual Puzzle

98%356reviews

Khimera: Puzzle Island

2020

Casual Puzzle

94%969reviews

Pictopix

2017

Casual Action Adventure

83%1.2kreviews

Moncage

2021

Casual Simulation

98%4.6kreviews

Hexcells Infinite

2016

Casual Puzzle

83%1.7kreviews

Murder by Numbers

2020

Action Adventure

89%171reviews

Nonogram - The Greatest Painter

2018

Casual Puzzle

86%1.1kreviews

Zenge

2016

Casual Action Adventure

2024: Mosaic Retrospective Tweets

2024: Mosaic Retrospective

Platforms

About

Buy 2024: Mosaic Retrospective