Akin

About

"Akin" is a cinematic space shooter game where players solve puzzles by drawing a continuous line to change tile colors. With 96 puzzles in "Normal" and "Time" modes, players can progress from basic to harder levels. Special tiles, such as "Teleport" and "Double Use," add complexity and require strategic thinking to solve. The game is Steamworks integrated, offering achievements, badges, trading cards, and more.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 314 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

story8 negative mentions

Akin offers a relaxing and minimalist puzzle experience with 96 levels that gradually increase in difficulty, providing a satisfying challenge.
The game features multiple solutions for puzzles, encouraging creativity and experimentation, making it enjoyable for puzzle enthusiasts.
It's affordably priced, making it accessible for players looking for a casual yet engaging puzzle game.

The controls can be clunky, especially during timed challenges, leading to frustration when fast movements are not recognized.
There is a lack of polish in the game, with issues such as a non-functional dark mode and no undo button for mistakes, which can detract from the overall experience.
The timed mode can feel overly punishing and may not be enjoyable for players who prefer a more relaxed gameplay style.

gameplay
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
76%
8%
The gameplay of "Akin" features 96 puzzles that range in difficulty, offering a solid amount of content for its price. While the core mechanics are simple and intuitive, they become increasingly challenging, providing a satisfying experience for puzzle enthusiasts. However, some players may find the minimal variety and repetitive nature of the gameplay a drawback, particularly due to the lack of a redo move option and reliance on a single mechanic.
- “There are 96 puzzles of varying difficulty levels, providing extensive gameplay.”
- “With its elegant design, calming soundtrack, and clever mechanics, Akin is a must-play for anyone seeking a peaceful yet engaging way to challenge their brain.”
- “✅ Calming and addictive gameplay: the combination of calming aesthetics, satisfying sound effects, and the thrill of finding solutions makes Akin surprisingly addictive.”
- “❌ [b]minimal variety:[/b] Akin focuses on a single core mechanic, which some players may find repetitive after extended play.”
- “Lastly, a redo move button might sound nice, but I’m not sure it’s possible with the way the gameplay works.”
- “The gameplay is okay, but the only thing I didn't like was that you couldn't make your line go backwards and had to restart.”
music
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
49%
11%
The music in the game is described as calming and fitting for the minimalist design, creating a tranquil atmosphere that aids concentration. However, many users find the single repetitive track becomes tedious over time, with some suggesting it can be distracting or annoying, leading to a preference for turning it off or lowering the volume externally. Overall, while the soundtrack starts off well, its lack of variety and volume control detracts from the experience for many players.
- “With its elegant design, calming soundtrack, and clever mechanics, Akin is a must-play for anyone seeking a peaceful yet engaging way to challenge their brain.”
- “The minimalist design and relaxing soundtrack create a calming atmosphere, making it easy to focus on the puzzles.”
- “Lovely music, interesting puzzles, tons of levels, and a nice amount of replayability.”
- “There is one music in the entire game that is fine but gets old after a while.”
- “The animations and art are boring and bland, the music is repetitive and not particularly interesting, and the controls are terrible.”
- “- music 1/10 (my ears give the blood rain because of the same short track repeating over and over. I give 1, not 0, because you can disable it)”
graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
58%
12%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist and elegant design that enhances the calming atmosphere, allowing for focus and relaxation. While some users find the visuals functional and clean, enabling easy pattern recognition, others feel that the simplicity may not hold up throughout the gameplay, particularly when the time-restricted mode introduces frustration. Overall, the graphics are appreciated for their effectiveness in supporting the game's addictive and soothing experience.
- “The game's minimalist visuals are a breath of fresh air.”
- “It proves that you don't need flashy graphics or complex mechanics to create a deeply engaging and rewarding experience.”
- “Visuals are clean enough for you to see the patterns several steps beforehand.”
- “Graphics - meh”
- “None of these are a deal-breaker in the first half - the game starts off quite promising, with a chill aesthetic, and then its time-restricted mode begins halfway through and the game is no longer interesting enough to justify the frustration with the UI.”
- “---{graphics}---”
story
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
52%
38%
The reviews reflect a mixed perception of the game's story, with some players noting a lack of narrative depth and others finding the absence of a structured story to be a drawback, leading to boredom from excessive missions. Additionally, one user highlights a metaphorical moral about perseverance, suggesting that the game's whimsical elements can evoke life's unpredictability, despite the overall sentiment leaning towards a minimal or non-existent story.
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “Let's not forget the 'teleport' tile – a whimsical twist that adds a layer of unpredictability reminiscent of life's sudden plot twists.”
- “☑ no story”
- “✅ no story 無劇情”
- “And too many missions only make this game boring.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be quite demanding, with some describing it as tedious, especially when aiming for 100% completion. The difficulty spikes unexpectedly, making the progression feel less smooth and more challenging. Overall, while it may appeal to those who enjoy game farming, many feel that it requires a significant time investment.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Doing 100% completion might be a bit tedious though.”
- “It does get challenging after a while; the puzzles seem a bit more tedious in certain areas, and then there is a big jump in difficulty as you progress rather than a smooth learning curve.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the inclusion of a timed mode that adds a layer of challenge, many feel that the fixed nature of the puzzles limits long-term engagement. The music and level variety are praised, but the lack of significant replay value means that most players may not return frequently.
- “Lovely music, interesting puzzles, tons of levels, and a nice amount of replayability.”
- “Pretty cool to include the timed mode; it added some replayability.”
- “Replayability is a key feature that keeps players coming back for more.”
- “This means that replay value is limited, and most people will not come back to this game before a long time, if at all.”
- “Downside there is no replayability, the puzzles are pre-fixed. There is some replayability if you are doing the timed mode to reduce your time, but the background option for dark mode is broken; it changes nothing, so playing this in a dark room might be eye-straining.”
- “Downside there is no replayability, the puzzles are pre-fixed. There is some replayability if you are doing the timed mode to reduce your time, but the background option for dark mode is broken; it changes nothing, so playing this in a dark room might be eye-straining.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The atmosphere of Akin is characterized by its minimalist design and soothing soundtrack, which together foster a tranquil and inviting environment ideal for relaxation and concentration. The clean lines and muted colors enhance the overall experience, making it both calming and intellectually stimulating for players.
- “Akin's minimalist visuals and soothing soundtrack create a tranquil atmosphere perfect for relaxation and focus.”
- “The clean lines, muted colors, and calming soundtrack create an atmosphere that's both inviting and intellectually stimulating.”
- “The minimalist design and relaxing soundtrack create a calming atmosphere, making it easy to focus on the puzzles.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Overall, the game demonstrates solid stability with no significant glitches or crashes reported. However, users have noted that achievements, particularly those related to timed modes, are prone to bugs.
- “Seems to work well, no glitches, crashes, or issues really.”
- “The achievements are very buggy, especially the ones in timed mode.”
- “The game frequently crashes, making it frustrating to play.”
- “There are numerous glitches that disrupt the overall experience.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's optimization is notably poor, causing significant performance issues such as maxing out CPU usage and dramatic frame rate drops during gameplay. While players can enjoy several hours of content, the experience is hampered by these technical shortcomings.
- “The only problem is, however, that it suffers from such abysmal performance that it spikes all of my four cores to 100% while flipping tiles, along with the game's frame rate dropping dramatically.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it enjoyable and amusing, particularly in the normal mode.
- “Normal mode is fine and funny.”