Dr Kobushi's Labyrinthine Laboratory

80%
Game Brain Score Based on 38 reviews
  • music
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Dr Kobushi's Labyrinthine Laboratory Game Cover
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Dr. Kobushi's Labyrinthine Laboratory is a challenging single-player adventure game with a spectacular soundtrack, where you guide Ayla through over 100 levels of puzzle mayhem to save her dog, Falafel, from the Puppet Panics. Critics have praised its complex puzzles, comparing it to a combination of Pac-Man and chess. The game is available for purchase on Steam.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 38 reviews
music12 positive mentions
  • The game features a charming art style and engaging character dialogue, enhancing the overall experience.
  • Puzzles are well-designed and provide a satisfying challenge, with a good ramp-up in difficulty as players progress.
  • The soundtrack, composed by Fearofdark, is highly praised and adds to the game's nostalgic and enjoyable atmosphere.
  • The game suffers from slow movement and trial-and-error mechanics, which can lead to frustration and a feeling of malaise.
  • There are limited quality-of-life options, such as the lack of an undo feature and no ability to skip dialogue, which can detract from the gameplay experience.
  • Some players find the visuals and overall presentation lacking compared to other modern puzzle games, making it feel outdated.
  • music29 mentions

    The music in the game, primarily composed by fearofdark, receives widespread acclaim for its catchy chiptune style and creative integration with the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience. Many players were drawn to the game specifically for the soundtrack, which they describe as fantastic and well-crafted, often listening to it outside of the game. While some critiques mention a lack of options for music settings, the general consensus is that the music significantly elevates the charm and enjoyment of the game.

    • “The music is amazingly crafted with care, and worth buying the soundtrack for.”
    • “Each world's unique art, dialogue, and music (especially music, fearofdark knocked it out of the park) bring a lot of flavor to what would otherwise be a somewhat monotonous game.”
    • “Nothing beats a game with solid puzzles, fun characters, and a catchy soundtrack.”
    • “The basic puzzles coupled with non-existent game settings (such as the possibility of turning music off or skipping the dialog at the beginning of levels) and uninspired soundtrack and visuals makes it difficult to recommend this puzzle game over other more revolutionary and more entertaining puzzle games such as Recursed, Toki Tori 2, Markov Alg, chr$(143), Ittle Dew 2+, and Tri: Of Friendship and Madness.”
    • “The basic puzzles coupled with non-existent game settings (such as the possibility of turning music off or skipping the dialog at the beginning of levels) and uninspired soundtrack and visuals makes it difficult to recommend this puzzle game over other more revolutionary and more entertaining puzzle games such as Recursed, Toki Tori 2, Markov Alg, chr$(143), Ittle Dew 2+, and Tri: Of Friendship and Madness.”
    • “The music is absolutely bumping.”
  • gameplay16 mentions

    The gameplay features around 100 levels with a gradual increase in difficulty and a focus on puzzle-solving mechanics, often breaking the fourth wall for comedic effect. While the initial levels can be frustrating due to deceptively simple mechanics, the introduction of new elements keeps the experience fresh and engaging without becoming overwhelming. Overall, the game successfully combines and expands on mechanics, leading to satisfying puzzle solutions, though some players may find the frequent introduction of new challenges disruptive.

    • “What you get is roughly 100 levels with a good ramp-up in difficulty and mechanics, a minimal story very blatantly in service of the puzzling, and a small cast of fun characters that I genuinely liked.”
    • “New mechanics are regularly introduced, and interactions between different mechanics are well thought out, resulting in puzzles that are extremely satisfying to solve.”
    • “It also does a nice job of introducing new mechanics, expanding on those mechanics, and then combining mechanics with previous ones in really interesting ways.”
    • “I think what makes the first levels particularly frustrating is that they throw just a couple deceptively easy mechanics at you, but as a tradeoff, the puzzles are just about as hard as they possibly can be with those few mechanics.”
    • “It isn't fun to almost solve a puzzle, get hit by a mechanic you forgot about, and have to do the entire ~2 minute solve again just to change your last few moves.”
    • “This is your typical isometric puzzle game from the 90s that brings nothing new to the genre in terms of gameplay.”
  • graphics7 mentions

    The graphics are well-polished and evoke a nostalgic feel reminiscent of early console and MS-DOS games, featuring enjoyable pixel art and a charming art style. While some users appreciate the retro aesthetic and humor in the character designs, others criticize the lack of innovative visuals and audio options, making it hard to recommend over more engaging titles. Overall, the visuals are generally well-received, though they may not stand out in a crowded genre.

    • “Well-polished, with a few nice touches in both audio and visuals.”
    • “The visuals are both enjoyable to look at and easy to understand, minus the occasional directional floor arrow being hidden by a wall in the foreground.”
    • “The basic puzzles coupled with non-existent game settings (such as the possibility of turning music off or skipping the dialog at the beginning of levels) and uninspired soundtrack and visuals make it difficult to recommend this puzzle game over other more revolutionary and entertaining puzzle games such as Recursed, Toki Tori 2, Markov Alg, chr$(143), Ittle Dew 2+, and Tri: Of Friendship and Madness.”
    • “This game not only looks retro with its pixel graphics, it also feels retro, as if you're playing a modern port of a classic MS-DOS game, like Chip's Challenge or God of Thunder.”
    • “Everything from the sound to the graphics brings back the nostalgia of the early console era.”
  • story4 mentions

    The game's story is minimal and primarily serves to support the puzzle mechanics, often breaking the fourth wall, which some players found detracted from character depth. While the characters are charming and the overall narrative is deemed unimportant, there is a desire for more engaging storytelling elements, such as unlockable cutscenes or lore, to enhance the experience.

    • “What you get is roughly 100 levels with a good ramp-up in difficulty and mechanics, a minimal story very blatantly in service of the puzzling, and a small cast of fun characters that I genuinely liked.”
    • “Came for the music and stayed for the puzzles; the game is challenging but not impossible, hard but not unfair. The characters are mysterious but charming, and while the plot is minimal, it feels unimportant.”
    • “It'd be terrific if different amounts of collected gems or disks could unlock something fun like cutscenes, secret dialogue with the puppet panics, or lore and backstory.”
    • “Came for the music and stayed for the puzzles; the game is challenging but not impossible, hard but not unfair. Characters are mysterious but charming, the plot is null but unimportant.”
    • “I know people don't play puzzle games for the story, but the writing for the 5th puzzle master wasn't impressive with the fourth wall breaking, and it felt like it cheapened the quality of the other characters' roles in the overall experience.”
    • “It'd be terrific if different amounts of collected gems or disks could unlock something fun like cutscenes, or secret dialogue with the puppet panics, or lore or backstory.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its funny characters and witty dialogue, reminiscent of the charm found in Undertale. Players appreciate the combination of engaging puzzles, fantastic music, and a vibrant art style that complements the comedic elements, making it a delightful experience for fans of old-school puzzle games.

    • “If you like old school puzzle games with nice music and funny characters, check this one out!”
    • “The characters are fun and funny, with dialogues giving an Undertale vibe that feels right at home with the graphics.”
    • “The variety of puzzles is great, the music is fantastic, I love the art style, and the dialogue is hilarious.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The game features a relaxing atmosphere enhanced by captivating music and engaging character dialogue, creating an enjoyable environment for players as they navigate its turn-based puzzles.

    • “A solid chill tile and turn-based puzzle game with amazing tunes and a nice overall atmosphere as you solve puzzles, complemented by fun character dialogue throughout.”
    • “The atmosphere is immersive, drawing you into the game world with its captivating sound design and art style.”
    • “Every level feels unique, with a rich ambiance that enhances the gameplay experience and keeps you engaged.”
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