Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure
- July 25, 2024
- Furniture & Mattress LLC
- 6h median play time
Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure is an engaging puzzle game full of heart, charm and a whole lot of variety.
Get on Steam"Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure" is a game featuring Jemma, a small-town misfit on a journey of self-discovery in a world ruled by fear and a 'static' force. Gameplay occurs on a unique, interconnected grid, combining movement, exploration, and combat, with elements of puzzle-solving as you loop around the edges of the grid. This is a story-driven RPG without traditional XP or inventory management, focusing on an engaging narrative and strategic, thoughtful puzzles.
Reviews
- Charming art style and engaging music create a visually stunning experience.
- The puzzle mechanics are innovative and consistently introduce new ideas, keeping gameplay fresh and enjoyable.
- The lighthearted story and humor add a delightful touch, making it a cozy and fun adventure.
- The game is relatively short, with many players feeling it lacks depth and challenge in its puzzles.
- Dialogue can be overly verbose and detracts from the pacing of the game.
- Some players found the story to be shallow and overly moralistic, lacking in complexity.
- story65 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as a lighthearted and whimsical narrative that blends humor with themes of isolation and communication, though opinions on its depth and execution vary widely. While some players appreciate its charming art and engaging puzzles, others find the story anticlimactic, overly simplistic, or lacking in substance, with some even labeling it as a cliché young adult tale. Overall, the narrative serves as a backdrop to the gameplay, with mixed feelings about its effectiveness and impact on the overall experience.
“The lush and breezy artwork and cheerful, self-aware storytelling carry it through its roughly 5-6 hour runtime.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed the blend of story, characters, art, and puzzles on display.”
“Absolutely charming game, with a meaningful story that also gives a lot of laughs, as well as a puzzle system that adds on plenty of very interesting new mechanics as the game goes on.”
“The story begins with delicious mystery, but the conclusion (and final fight) felt anticlimactic and a bit shallow.”
“Though I'm a fan of story-heavy games, I found the dialogue to be deeply tedious.”
“After the game's second town, which was a paper-thin cringe-inducing allegory for social media, I decided that I couldn't care less about how the story went and began mashing through every NPC interaction and piece of dialogue from that point onward until the end of the game.”
- gameplay57 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a charming and innovative puzzle mechanic centered around shifting tiles, which introduces new elements at a satisfying pace without becoming overly complex. While the puzzles are generally enjoyable and accessible, some players feel that the mechanics could have been explored in greater depth, leading to a lack of challenging moments. Overall, the game offers a delightful experience with beautiful visuals and engaging mechanics, making it a fun, albeit somewhat shallow, adventure.
“The puzzles are incredible, the mechanic had so much to explore, and it felt amazing to play.”
“The gameplay is an innovative delight to the puzzle genre.”
“The central mechanic is easy to grasp but very layered, and the game constantly throws new puzzle elements at you.”
“This game is short, over-the-top, somewhat shallow mechanically, painfully YA fiction, and left me wanting more.”
“No mechanic really built upon what happened before, so there wasn't an interesting mechanical arc, culminating in something really special.”
“Although the puzzles can sometimes be clever, the game doesn't explore its mechanics in any real depth.”
- music24 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers highlighting its charm, beauty, and ability to enhance the overall experience. Descriptions range from soothing and pleasant to catchy and reminiscent of notable artists, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, complementing the impressive art style and engaging puzzle mechanics.
“The music was superb, and reminded me of Michael Hedges or Willy Porter.”
“Arranger: a role-puzzling adventure is like wrapping yourself in a pastel-colored blanket while a lo-fi soundtrack whispers sweet nothings in your ear.”
“One of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful games I've ever looked at, with great sound design, music, and an extremely catchy puzzle mechanic that hooked me immediately.”
“I skipped most of the dialogue, focusing instead on the pretty colors and soothing music.”
“Buy it for the soundtrack alone—you deserve a game that doesn’t make you question your life choices!”
“Cute story, tricky but not brain-bending puzzles, but its art and music that clearly stands out here.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning art style, charming visuals, and cohesive aesthetic that perfectly complements the whimsical storytelling. Players appreciate the vibrant and varied environments, along with the cute character designs, which enhance the overall experience and contribute to the game's cozy atmosphere. The combination of beautiful artwork and engaging gameplay elements makes it a standout title in 2024.
“The art style was not only gorgeous, but matched the tone perfectly and made for a cute, cozy, and varied land to explore.”
“An absolutely stunning art style and it's charming all the way through.”
“The art direction is stunning, with soft colors and charming visuals that make you forget you’re supposed to be stressed about real life.”
“The music and artwork are charming, and I generally liked the characters, albeit the writing is fairly simple.”
“Charming graphics and music, and a central mechanic I haven't seen before.”
“On the other hand, the visuals are charming and the quippy, whimsical style, which could easily have been cringe, lands well thanks to solid writing.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a surprisingly strong sense of humor, with funny characters and clever writing that adds charm to the experience. While the humor is self-aware and may appeal differently to players, it generally strikes a balance between lightheartedness and cleverness, enhancing the overall enjoyment without overshadowing the gameplay.
“It's a funny game, even if comedy isn't its primary goal.”
“Beautiful art, funny characters, clever puzzle design.”
“The humor is self-aware and millennial, which is either charming or cringe-worthy, depending on your tolerance for irony.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of wholesome themes and humor, appealing to those seeking lighthearted experiences. While some critics find the approach overly simplistic or formulaic, many appreciate the well-written, heartwarming moments that contribute to its charm.
“Sometimes you need a nice, wholesome game.”
“In most games of this type, it could be a nuisance, but in this game, it's pretty well written and lightheartedly funny and heartwarming.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly criticizing the lengthy and repetitive dialogue that detracts from the overall experience.
“Though I'm a fan of story-heavy games, I found the dialogue to be deeply tedious.”
“The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I spent hours doing the same tasks over and over, which quickly became frustrating.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is praised for its diverse and inclusive designs, showcasing a wide variety of body types and meticulous attention to detail in the artwork.
“The character designs feature a vast array of body types; the artists took great care to explore the tiniest details in their art.”
“The depth of character development is truly impressive, allowing players to form genuine connections with each character.”
“Each character's backstory is intricately woven into the gameplay, making their growth feel authentic and rewarding.”
Critic Reviews
Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure Review – A beautifully pieced together game
Players who enjoy casual puzzle titles are sure to find something to love in Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure. With its beautifully hand-drawn world and original puzzle mechanics, Arranger offers a compelling story world with engaging puzzles that are great for puzzle fans, both young and old. The world’s grid system creates a novel way to interact with engaging puzzles while also expanding on the story world. If you’re looking for a hardcore puzzle challenge, Arranger might not be for you, however, if you’re looking for a casual experience with colourful graphics to boot, Arranger will be a great fit for your library.
80%Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure Review – The Good Kind Of Sliding Block Puzzle
Arranger takes a type of game puzzle that is often irritating and turns it into something pretty cool – even if some of that frustration remains. It's absolutely gorgeous and full of interesting mechanical ideas, and though its core premise isn't the most exciting, it makes a strong argument for its own existence.
75%Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure review
Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure is an engaging puzzle game full of heart, charm and a whole lot of variety.
90%
