- December 30, 2024
- Mark Ffrench
2024: Mosaic Retrospective
Platforms
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.






- The game offers a unique and engaging concept of summarizing the year's events through puzzles, making it both educational and entertaining.
- It's completely free, providing hours of relaxing gameplay with a chill atmosphere and enjoyable music.
- The puzzle design is well-crafted, allowing players to experience a satisfying sense of progression as they complete sections and uncover interesting news stories.
- The game lacks a comprehensive tutorial, which can make it difficult for players unfamiliar with Minesweeper-style mechanics to get started.
- Some players feel that the game presents a biased perspective on political topics, which may detract from the overall experience.
- The music has been criticized for not fitting the game's relaxing vibe, leading some players to turn it off entirely.
- music26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the pleasant and relaxing soundtracks, particularly the zen and bossa nova options, others find it ill-suited for the puzzle-solving experience, leading them to turn it off. Overall, the soundtrack is noted for creating a charming atmosphere, though its effectiveness varies among players.
“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.”
“The art style and presentation are charming, and the soundtrack sets a reflective tone.”
“Love the vibe and music.”
“What didn't make for a very enjoyable solving experience is, once again, the music for this game.”
“The music does not really fit this kind of puzzle very well.”
“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.”