hocus

About

hocus is a single player casual puzzle game with a kids theme. It was developed by Yunus Ayyildiz and was released on November 18, 2015. It received positive reviews from players.

"Hocus" is a single-player kids' puzzle game with a focus on stellar gameplay and a great soundtrack. The game features 120 beautifully drawn illusion puzzles based on M.C. Escher drawings and impossible shapes. Players can compete in highscore mode with AI and even create and share their own levels as cards or codes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 341 reviews

music11 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and interesting mechanic based on optical illusions, providing a fun and challenging experience.
It's a relaxing puzzle game with minimalist graphics and soothing music, making it enjoyable for casual play.
The level editor allows players to create and share their own puzzles, adding to the game's replayability.

The game suffers from being a direct mobile port, with poor controls and a lack of features like an exit button or proper keyboard support.
Puzzles can become repetitive and lack variety, leading to a feeling of monotony after a while.
The slow movement of the cube can be frustrating, making some levels feel tedious rather than engaging.

music
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
62%
8%
The music in the game is generally described as calming and ambient, featuring soothing wind chimes that enhance the relaxing atmosphere while solving puzzles. However, some players find it repetitive or annoying over time, leading them to mute it in favor of their own music. Overall, while the soundtrack complements the game's minimalistic design, it lacks customization options, such as audio sliders, which could improve the experience.
- “The music is relaxing and the puzzles are mildly confusing, but definitely get it when it's on sale; this isn't 3 dollars worth of game.”
- “The minimal graphics are aesthetically pleasing, the music is soothing, controls are intuitive, and the puzzles can be challenging.”
- “A nice, calm puzzle, which has music that makes you feel better after a brain meltdown.”
- “The wind chimes 'music' got really annoying, as did the little high-pitched blip sound that occurred for every rotation of the cube, so I muted the game and resorted to other music alternatives.”
- “The only downside is I'll be deaf within the hour thanks to one particular tone in the background music.”
- “My only issue is the music puts me to sleep.”
gameplay
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
56%
10%
The gameplay of Hocus is centered around minimalistic logic puzzles that utilize the Penrose triangle optical illusion, offering an intriguing yet repetitive experience. While the mechanics are interesting and provide a unique challenge, many players find the lack of progression and variety in levels leads to boredom over time. Overall, the game is praised for its originality and solid execution, but it ultimately falls short in depth and engagement, making it suitable for a brief playthrough rather than extended sessions.
- “Hocus is a short minimalist logic puzzle game that makes use of the Penrose triangle, playing with the optical illusion it creates as the basis for the puzzle mechanics you'll need to understand.”
- “Truly an example of a game that is good not because of overwhelming content, but because of the skillful application of simple mechanics combined with a novel idea.”
- “The gameplay is a 10, how the game runs is a 10, the originality and delivery are both 10, and the length is just right for what it is (10/10).”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay is as boring as it sounds.”
- “While traversing and beating seemingly impossible shapes for 45 minutes is a cool novelty, the issue comes when the developers stretch this game to three to four hours of gameplay with no story or new mechanics introduced. The last fifty out of a hundred levels dragged on, and by the end, it felt like a chore to beat it.”
- “The game has a level editor which seemed to work well enough, but I never felt compelled to look for community levels as I don't think any level made via the editor could bring anything new to the picture; all the provided levels rely on the same mechanic.”
graphics
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
65%
13%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalistic and aesthetically pleasing style, drawing inspiration from optical illusions and artists like M.C. Escher. While the simple visuals effectively complement the gameplay and enhance the puzzle-solving experience, some reviewers feel that they lack depth compared to more artistically ambitious titles. Overall, the graphics are clear and well-executed, making the game accessible and engaging for fans of the genre.
- “The blending of isometric 3D graphics with connections implied by perspective makes for a fun and challenging maze experience.”
- “The graphics are clear, so there is no danger of misunderstanding where you are.”
- “The minimal graphics are aesthetically pleasing, the music is soothing, controls are intuitive, and the puzzles can be challenging.”
- “Though the graphics are lacking (almost completely), in Hocus, the intrigue of the perspective-twisting mechanic is given more room to breathe, freed from Monument Valley's ham-handed attempts at world-building in this emerging genre that is inherently poorly suited to real, meaningful world-building.”
- “The slick visuals are just not enough to make up for the weak puzzles in this puzzle game.”
- “While I am a huge fan of the concept that is on display here, and the interactivity with shapes in the mild of small linear Sokoban action helps draw your eye to the shapes and angles, it still somehow does not nearly do enough to compete with something with a real art style and an attempt at actual gameplay mechanics.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The game's story aspect is described as minimal or non-existent, with some players finding it a relaxing distraction despite the lack of depth. While the gameplay offers a unique challenge, the absence of a compelling narrative or new mechanics over extended playtime leads to a sense of monotony and frustration. Overall, the story is either seen as a motivational backdrop or completely absent, leaving players wanting more.
- “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.”
- “While traversing and beating seemingly impossible shapes for 45 minutes is a cool novelty, the issue comes when the developers stretch this game to three to four hours of gameplay and there is no story or any new mechanics introduced. The last fifty out of a hundred levels dragged on, and by the end, it felt like a chore to beat it.”
- “✅ no story 無劇情”
- “It gives me something to do and relax with when I am unable to invest fully into a story or PvP.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
Players generally find the game offers solid replayability, with many noting its engaging puzzles and value for the price. Overall, it provides a satisfying experience that encourages multiple playthroughs.
- “Good for a handful of hours of gameplay, and the replayability is real.”
- “Good puzzle game with good replayability.”
- “Overall, I think this is a great game, especially considering the low price and amount of content and replayability.”
- “Good for a handful of hours of gameplay, but the replayability is lacking.”
- “Overall, I think this is a great game, especially considering the low price and amount of content, but the replayability is limited.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its clever juxtaposition of challenging puzzles that can be both deceptively simple and frustratingly complex, eliciting laughter and exasperation from players. Additionally, the irony of the game recommending a controller while making it impossible to exit with one adds to its comedic charm, making it a funny and affordable casual puzzle experience.
- “Some puzzles look crazy hard but turn out to be forehead-smackingly simple, while others appear super easy but will have you simultaneously laughing and growling in amused frustration at the workings of your own confused brain.”
- “This is especially funny considering that when you open the game, they recommend a controller, but it is also impossible to close the game with the controller.”
- “A funny casual puzzle game available for a very low price.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, primarily due to slow movement that hampers puzzle-solving. While the initial experience is enjoyable, the repetitive nature of the gameplay leads to a decline in overall fun.
- “At first, it's a fun little puzzle game based on the 'impossible shapes' concept, but it gets tedious rather quickly.”
- “Movement is really slow, which makes some puzzles very tedious.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report that the game evokes a mix of relaxation and frustration, as its challenging puzzles involving impossible shapes can lead to both a calming experience and mental strain. The emotional journey is characterized by the tension between the satisfaction of solving puzzles and the headache that can accompany the complexity of the gameplay.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
300%
The game is praised for its strong optimization, providing a challenging experience without excessive guidance or hand-holding, which enhances player engagement and skill development.
- “Well-optimized and smart, this game doesn't hold your hand, give you any hints, or give you an easy time.”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “Despite its potential, the optimization feels rushed, resulting in long loading times and inconsistent performance.”
- “I encountered numerous bugs and glitches that severely impacted my experience, indicating a lack of proper optimization.”