Deru: The Art of Cooperation
- March 1, 2018
- INK KIT
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Get on itch.io Store"Deru: The Art of Cooperation" is a couch and online co-op puzzle game where two players work together to overcome obstacles using strategic planning, timed movements, and communication. The game features simple mechanics that create complex puzzles, set in a beautiful abstract art style with great atmospheric music. Players can enjoy multiple worlds with brain-twisting riddles in both single-player and multiplayer modes.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Windows
Linux
Tablet
Reviews
- Visually striking with a minimalist art style and calming soundtrack, making it aesthetically pleasing.
- Engaging couch co-op gameplay that requires teamwork and communication, suitable for both experienced and novice players.
- Unique and clever puzzles that gradually increase in difficulty, providing a satisfying challenge for players.
- The game is relatively short, with some players feeling it lacks replay value and contains filler levels.
- Controller support can be problematic, particularly for solo play, and there is no online co-op option.
- Some puzzles can feel ambiguous or frustrating, leading to a sense of stumbling into solutions rather than solving them strategically.
- graphics11 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and aesthetically pleasing art style, which effectively enhances the gameplay experience. Players appreciate the thoughtful design of levels and the satisfying visual elements that contribute to the overall atmosphere, making it a visually engaging puzzle game. The combination of beautiful visuals and a pleasant soundscape creates a soothing and immersive environment for players.
“The art style is extremely well executed and has a ton of little polishing touches that make it very satisfying to play.”
“A lovely puzzle game with beautiful visuals, a pleasant soundscape, and good puzzles so far.”
“Aesthetics from heaven, visually pleasing and good sound.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is engaging and enjoyable, featuring simple mechanics that encourage cooperation between players as they navigate puzzles with multiple solutions. With a playtime of around 3 hours, the game introduces new mechanics across its five worlds, maintaining freshness and variety while remaining accessible. Overall, it offers a polished and relaxing experience, enhanced by a pleasant soundtrack.
“The game does a good job of adding a handful of new mechanics to keep the player engaged and add variety to the puzzles, while remaining pretty simple and never getting so difficult that you cannot find the answer without some good old-fashioned trial and error.”
“The gameplay is simple - move your characters to the goals, while helping each other.”
“You have two shapes, one controlled by each player, and you need to get to your respective exits by blocking streams of color, with several new mechanics added along the way (changing mass, leaving pieces of you behind, etc.).”
“It's about 3 hours long for a normal playthrough and keeps the gameplay fresh by introducing new mechanics in each of its 5 worlds.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its calming and relaxing qualities, complementing the visually appealing art. Players appreciate the soundtracks for enhancing the cooperative gameplay experience, making it enjoyable for both new and seasoned friends.
“Music is calming and the art is really pretty.”
“Relaxing soundtracks, challenging levels, good to play both with a new friend and an old one, and perfect to master together in the art of cooperation!”
“Smooth and relaxing gameplay with good music.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game evokes a unique emotional experience by exploring themes of conflict and duality through its mechanics, where players navigate the tension between opposing forces represented by the contrasting shapes. The challenge of avoiding one's own color while interacting with the opposite adds a layer of introspection and emotional engagement.
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability due to its ambiguous mechanics, which do not provide a rewarding experience for players upon repeated playthroughs.
“Not very replayable because its mechanics are ambiguous and not particularly rewarding.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
“The lack of meaningful choices makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
- story1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The lack of a compelling story in the game leaves players without a strong narrative incentive to continue, resulting in a reliance on puzzle-solving enjoyment, which some found lacking.
“There is no real story to latch on to, leaving only the enjoyment of solving puzzles as an incentive to continue playing, which was absent for us.”
“The narrative feels disjointed and fails to engage the player, making it hard to care about the characters or their journeys.”
“The plot is predictable and lacks depth, resulting in a story that feels more like a chore than an engaging experience.”
