Cogs

About

Cogs is a single-player puzzle game known for its splendid visuals and delightful soundtrack. Players build machines from sliding tiles in 50 levels across three modes: Inventor, Time Challenge, and Move Challenge. Inventor Mode introduces players to widgets used to build machines, while Time and Move Challenges offer time-based and move-limited puzzles, respectively, to test players' problem-solving skills.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 417 reviews

graphics36 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Cogs offers a beautifully crafted steampunk aesthetic with engaging and challenging puzzles that provide a satisfying sense of accomplishment upon completion.
The game features a variety of puzzle types and difficulty levels, making it accessible for casual players while still offering depth for those seeking a challenge.
Many players appreciate the replayability due to the scoring system that encourages efficiency and speed, allowing for multiple playthroughs of the same puzzles.

The timer and move counter can create a frustrating experience, detracting from the enjoyment of solving puzzles at a more relaxed pace.
Some players find the game becomes repetitive and overly reliant on memorization, especially in later levels where the difficulty spikes significantly.
The user interface and graphics feel dated, which may detract from the overall experience for some players in 2023.

graphics
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
29%
5%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beautiful steampunk aesthetic, smooth animations, and well-designed visuals that enhance the overall experience. While some users note that the graphics may feel dated or primitive compared to modern standards, they still contribute to a cohesive and engaging atmosphere, complemented by soothing music and sound effects. Overall, the game is recognized for its polished presentation and entertaining design, making it visually appealing despite its age.
- “There's a beautiful steampunk aesthetic, down to the menus, and every piece glides with a purposeful elegance.”
- “Very fun, beautiful graphics and the pressure upon you is marvelous.”
- “The levels are created with a lot of care, featuring beautiful graphics, cute animations and calming music and sound effects.”
- “The UI, controls, and graphics are quite dated here in 2023, but the puzzles are still fun and interesting.”
- “Between the graphics design and the music, it has an old style feel to it.”
- “The graphics are correct while not spectacular.”
music
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
45%
9%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its soothing and thematic qualities that enhance the overall experience. However, some users express frustration with specific music puzzles, finding them repetitive or challenging to synchronize. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's aesthetic, creating a relaxing atmosphere that complements the gameplay.
- “Great aesthetic, great music, tough puzzles.”
- “With the simple but thematic music completing the package, bottom line is that it seems swell as a niche interest, with what feels like a lot of heart put into it.”
- “Graphically it is well presented, the music soothes rather than grates and the controls are simple and intuitive, using only the mouse.”
- “I've had this in my Steam library for years, and although it's really well made, the repetitive music, the timers, and points system turn me off.”
- “An amazing puzzle game, but beware of the music box levels; they will be your worst nightmare trying to synchronize the chimes just perfectly.”
- “I hated the puzzles with music; that's why I leave this negative feedback.”
gameplay
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
66%
7%
The gameplay in Cogs is centered around classic sliding puzzle mechanics, featuring over 50 creatively designed puzzles that incorporate unique mechanical quirks, enhancing the challenge. While the core mechanics can feel repetitive over time, the game's steampunk aesthetic and engaging interface contribute to an addictive experience for fans of brain-teasing puzzles. Overall, players appreciate the variety and creativity of the puzzles, though some feel the gameplay lacks depth after extended play.
- “Cogs delivers a little over 50 sliding puzzles, most of which include an interesting mechanical quirk that makes understanding the final configuration a puzzle in itself.”
- “Levels are varied while still retaining the same basic mechanics, allowing you to easily adapt and not feel lost on your first attempt.”
- “If you enjoy brain-twisting mechanical puzzles, Cogs will keep you entertained for a good while.”
- “It's very pretty and well made but offers no interesting gameplay.”
- “The presentation is alright, but I can't recommend it fully as the core gameplay wears thin once you realize it's just sliding things around.”
- “[*] '3 gameplay modes' is misleading.”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The game offers moderate replayability, primarily through scoring systems that reward players for completing puzzles with fewer moves and faster times. While the puzzles are engaging and not overly difficult, encouraging players to return, the replay value largely hinges on personal score challenges and a challenge mode. Overall, players feel inclined to revisit the game for its replayable elements.
- “It increased the replayability of the puzzles, while never being difficult enough to become frustrating or demoralizing.”
- “Stars are awarded for completing the puzzle, using fewer moves (bronze, silver, gold), and fast completion times (bronze, silver, gold), which stretches replayability, albeit with basic memorization.”
- “There is some replayability if you want to beat your scores or play challenge mode.”
- “I might come back to it again one day because I think it has some replay value.”
- “[*] stars are awarded for completing the puzzle, using fewer moves (bronze, silver, gold), and fast completion times (bronze, silver, gold) which stretches replayability, albeit basic memorization.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game lacks any narrative elements, with no story, background, or setup provided, leaving players without context or engagement in the plot.
- “There is no story, background, or setup to the game.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by smooth and well-executed graphics, complemented by minimal and subtle sound effects that contribute positively without becoming intrusive.
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly after completing multiple levels, which detracts from the overall binge-worthy experience.
- “Not a 'binge' game, at least for me, as it can seem a little tedious after doing multiple levels.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting that it evokes a wide range of feelings, including laughter and tears, and even surpasses the emotional impact of the musical "Cats."
- “I laughed, I cried, it was better than cats!”