KAMI
- January 23, 2014
- State of Play
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Kami is a single-player platformer game with amazing gameplay, ingenious graphics, and splendid music. The game features 63 unique puzzles, created with real paper in a Japanese theme, and comes with premium puzzles and hints. Kami offers a calming and elegant soundtrack and was nominated for the SXSW 2014 Gamer's Voice Award and was the #1 game in the Mac App Store and iOS puzzle game in 12 countries."
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Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and a relaxing aesthetic, making it visually appealing.
- The puzzles are engaging and progressively challenging, providing a satisfying brain workout.
- The hint system is generous, allowing players to get help when stuck without feeling penalized.
- The game is relatively short, with only 63 puzzles, which may leave players wanting more content.
- The music can become repetitive, as it only plays in the menu and not during the puzzles themselves.
- Some puzzles, especially in the premium section, can be overly complex and frustrating, leading to trial and error.
- music154 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in "Kami" is widely praised for its soothing and beautiful Japanese-inspired soundtrack, which enhances the game's zen atmosphere and complements its origami aesthetics. However, many players note that the music can become repetitive due to its limited variety, and some express disappointment that it does not play during puzzle-solving, opting instead for sound effects. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's relaxing experience, players desire more tracks and options for customization.
“Kami is a charming, little puzzle game with a 'zen', relaxing feel to it, especially with the gentle music in the background.”
“The sounds are really pleasant from the rustling of the paper to the zen-like music that goes alongside the puzzles, making for a very pleasant experience.”
“The music is gentle and soothing, allowing for careful thought, making this a good go-to stress release.”
“I admittedly feel a bit torn about the music: it consists of only one track, and while it is a mellow and relaxing tune, it does get a bit repetitive.”
“On the downside, the music is boringly repetitive (and more 'Asian junk' than real Japanese), and overall the game is a bit cheap on what it provides.”
“Sadly, the music does not play during the puzzles themselves, and while one might say it's to help concentration, why not just give me the option to mute it during said puzzle?”
- graphics126 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Kami" are widely praised for their beautiful, minimalist aesthetic that effectively captures the essence of origami and paper art. Players appreciate the soothing color palette, smooth animations, and overall visual appeal, which enhance the relaxing experience of the puzzle gameplay. While some find the visuals repetitive, the game's artistic design and attention to detail contribute significantly to its charm and immersive atmosphere.
“The graphics consist of real photos of colored paper and indicate a handmade surface texture with folding animations appearing like a haptic simulation.”
“The game is beautiful in graphics, animations, sounds, and music.”
“It's a lovely low-stress game with gorgeous visuals that looks beyond great on a retina display.”
“The visuals were repetitive and bland, though the animation was very smooth and particularly well-done.”
“The paper aesthetic along with the animations and music really add a lot to the game - surprisingly high quality compared to other puzzle games I've played.”
“Graphics are very simplistic and it's working very well, on the theme of origami.”
- gameplay68 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this puzzle game is characterized by its simple mechanics of color flipping, which gradually increase in difficulty through more complex designs and additional colors. While the core mechanics remain unchanged throughout, the level design is engaging and visually appealing, providing a relaxing yet challenging experience, particularly on mobile devices. Overall, the game offers a satisfying blend of accessibility and increasing challenge, making it enjoyable for casual play sessions.
“The gameplay is simple to understand, flipping colors in order to change the whole paper into one color to progress to the next stage.”
“The level design and puzzle design is intriguing while also being pretty and smooth, making the gameplay incredibly entertaining and a marvel for the eyes as well.”
“Extremely simple gameplay rules combined with ever-increasing difficulty in the levels make this a great little puzzler.”
“The core gameplay has little to offer and as a sit down PC entertainment product it does not really hold up.”
“There are no real twists to the gameplay; every level in the game operates identically.”
“No new mechanics are added; just frustration.”
- story10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game lacks a narrative or worldbuilding, with multiple reviewers noting that it is purely a puzzle experience devoid of any story elements. While some players appreciate the engaging gameplay, they express disappointment over the absence of a storyline, contrasting it unfavorably with older games that offered more depth. Overall, the consensus is that the game is enjoyable but fundamentally lacks a story.
“The game is engaging, the story is immersive and layered with a bunch of symbolism and depth, the soundtrack is beautiful, the graphics are top-notch, and the characters are just filled with color and greatly contrast each other.”
“No story, no worldbuilding, nothing like that.”
“This is a very casual puzzle game with no extras (other achievements besides 'oh hey, you completed the level, here's the next one', or a story).”
“As a pure puzzle game, there is no story to this game.”
- atmosphere9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charming Japanese aesthetic, serene soundtrack, and attention to detail, creating a relaxing and meditative experience. Players appreciate the calming visuals and gameplay that encourages a low-pressure environment, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game. Despite some minor issues with the interface and sound levels, the atmosphere remains a standout feature that contributes to a soothing gaming experience.
“But this game has a charming Japanese atmosphere from the music and the design.”
“The atmosphere, graphics, and experience are smooth, with care put into the details.”
“Creates a relaxing, meditative gaming atmosphere.”
“Music is pretty cool and the serene, oneiric, and overall calming atmosphere is fitting.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability due to its short length and lack of additional content or meta features, with only 72 puzzles available. While some players may revisit premium puzzles for deeper exploration, the overall consensus is that once the puzzles are solved, there is little incentive to replay, making it a brief experience that may not justify its price for some.
“There are only 72 (45 regular + 27 premium) puzzles, and the replay value is very small once you've found the perfect solutions. However, with some premium puzzles, you might want to examine your newfound solution in more detail.”
“After five hours of playtime, I'm currently 98% complete. I have two of the 63 puzzles where I haven't hit the move budget, and I can't see there being any short-term replayability, but this is reflected in the relatively low price.”
“I had a great time with it for the price. I'm not sure how much replay value is in the game once you beat it, but nevertheless, I would still recommend it.”
“No meta features or additional content mean zero replayability.”
“The game is really short; there aren't a lot of puzzles and there isn't much replayability, in my opinion, so I'm not sure if it's worth this price tag.”
“There are only 72 (45 regular + 27 premium) puzzles and the replay value is very small once you've found the perfect solutions. However, with some premium puzzles, you might want to examine your newfound solution in more detail.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express mixed emotions regarding the game's design; while the satisfying sound of paper flipping and the relaxing atmosphere evoke positive feelings, the jarring audio and punishing grading system can lead to frustration. Completing puzzles brings a sense of accomplishment, even when hints are used, contributing to an overall emotional experience that oscillates between enjoyment and stress.
“Made me feel smart when I completed a puzzle, even if I used hints.”
“It instantly made me feel like I was relaxing on a warm, sunny day with not a care.”
“It is animated and insonified to make you feel like you're really touching paper.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, particularly by younger audiences, who find it hilarious and entertaining. Reviewers consistently describe it as a funny and fantastic experience.
“Like, young kids think this game is hilarious.”
“Funny game”
“Funny, fantastic”
- monetization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the sequel heavily relies on microtransactions for hints, offering only one free hint and no option for a flat purchase price. Players express frustration with this system, preferring a one-time payment model instead of paying per hint, which detracts from the overall experience despite the creative puzzles.
“I play it occasionally, just without hints, and would buy it if it were sold for a flat price, rather than hint by hint microtransactions.”
“The sequel pushes in-game transactions a bit harder; it seems you only get one hint ever for free, and there's no option to just buy the game outright, instead, it's microtransactions for hints.”
“The sequel pushes in-game transactions a bit harder; it seems you only get one hint ever for free, and there's no option to just buy the game outright—it's microtransactions for hints.”
“I play it occasionally, just without hints, and would buy it if it were sold for a flat price, rather than hint-by-hint microtransactions.”
“While the puzzles are creative, the system is designed around microtransactions, which are impossible to pull off on Steam.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be enjoyable initially, but it can become tedious over time, particularly with certain bonus puzzles that are considered less engaging.
“Don't bother with the last few bonus puzzles, though; those are tedious to play.”
“This is fun, though it can get tedious after a while.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report that the hint system exhibits instability, particularly when attempting to access a second hint, which requires resetting the puzzle.
“The hint system feels buggy when looking for a second hint; the puzzle must be reset.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress.”
“I experienced constant lag and stuttering, which ruined the overall experience.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game lacks optimization for widescreen displays, which has disappointed some users who expected better support for modern screen formats.
“I have no idea why it wasn’t optimized for widescreen; I really wish it had been.”
“The game runs poorly on my system despite meeting the recommended requirements.”
“There are frequent frame drops and stuttering, which makes the gameplay experience frustrating.”
