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KAMI

95%Game Brain Score
music, graphics
story, replayability
95% User Score Based on 1,346 reviews

Platforms

PCPCAndroidAndroidiPhoneiPhoneNintendo 3dsNintendo 3dsWindowsWindowsMac OSMac OSMobile PlatformMobile PlatformiPadiPadPhonePhoneTabletTablet

About

"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."

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
KAMI screenshot
KAMI screenshot
KAMI screenshot
KAMI screenshot
KAMI screenshot
KAMI screenshot
KAMI screenshot
KAMI screenshot

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,346 reviews
music92 positive mentions
story6 negative mentions

  • KAMI offers a relaxing and visually pleasing puzzle experience with beautiful graphics and soothing music.
  • The puzzles are simple to understand but can be quite challenging, providing a satisfying sense of accomplishment when solved.
  • The game features a generous hint system that allows players to get help when stuck, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The game is relatively short, with only 63 puzzles, which may leave players wanting more content.
  • The hint system limits players to a certain number of hints per day, which can be frustrating for those who want to progress more quickly.
  • Some puzzles, especially in the premium section, can be overly complex or visually confusing, detracting from the relaxing experience.
  • music
    308 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "Kami" is widely praised for its soothing and calming qualities, featuring a beautiful traditional Japanese style that enhances the game's zen atmosphere. However, many players note that the soundtrack consists of a single loop, which can become repetitive over time, and it does not play during puzzle-solving, potentially detracting from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the music is generally considered a pleasant accompaniment to the game's aesthetic, contributing to a relaxing gameplay environment.

    • “Kami is a charming, little puzzle game with a 'zen', relaxing feel to it, especially with the gentle music in the background.”
    • “The music is gentle and soothing, allowing careful thought, making this a good go-to stress release.”
    • “The colors and music are splendid, and complement the unusual (but extremely fun) mechanics of the game.”
    • “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?”
  • graphics
    252 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Kami" are widely praised for their simplicity and elegance, featuring a beautiful origami aesthetic that enhances the overall relaxing experience of the game. Many reviewers highlight the high-quality visuals, smooth animations, and the effective use of color, which contribute to an immersive and satisfying atmosphere. While some note that the visuals can become repetitive, the overall consensus is that the game's art style is both charming and visually appealing, making it a standout in the puzzle genre.

    • “The graphics consist of real photos of coloured paper and indicate a handmade surface texture with folding animations appearing like a haptic simulation.”
    • “The game actually looks very nice and clean; the colored squares appear to be made out of construction paper, and the patterned squares have a very aesthetically pleasing visual appearance as well.”
    • “The visuals of Kami are the very definition of 'oddly satisfying'.”
    • “The visuals were repetitive and bland, though the animation was very smooth and particularly well-done.”
    • “The aesthetic could be easily replaced with anything else, and it would be the same game at its core.”
    • “No achievements, no trading cards, basic graphics, okay music/sound...”
  • gameplay
    136 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of this puzzle game is characterized by its simple mechanics, where players flip colors to transform the entire paper into a single hue to progress through levels. While the core mechanics remain unchanged, the puzzles increase in complexity, providing a satisfying challenge, especially in later stages. The game is praised for its relaxing atmosphere, elegant visuals, and smooth animations, making it particularly enjoyable on mobile devices, though some players wish for more varied mechanics and improved interface elements.

    • “The simplicity of the visual design matches perfectly with the clean core puzzle mechanics.”
    • “Extremely simple gameplay rules combined with ever increasing difficulty in the levels make this a great little puzzler.”
    • “The level design and puzzle design is intriguing whilst also being pretty and smooth, making the gameplay incredibly entertaining and a marvel for the eyes.”
    • “Conclusion: 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.”
  • story
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its absence, with multiple reviewers noting that it lacks any narrative or worldbuilding elements, making it feel empty compared to other titles. While some praise the engaging gameplay and visuals, they emphasize that as a pure puzzle game, it offers no story or depth, leading to disappointment among players seeking a more immersive experience.

    • “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 colour 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.”
  • atmosphere
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its relaxing and meditative qualities, enhanced by a charming Japanese aesthetic and a soothing soundtrack. Players appreciate the attention to detail in the graphics and design, which contribute to a serene gaming experience that balances challenging puzzles with a low-pressure environment. Overall, the atmosphere is described as calming and immersive, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “Music is pretty cool and the serene, oneiric and overall calming atmosphere is fitting.”
    • “Creates a relaxing, meditative gaming atmosphere.”
    • “Music is pretty cool and the serene, oneiric, and overall calming atmosphere is fitting.”
    • “The atmosphere, graphics, and experience are smooth, with care put into the details.”
  • replayability
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game has limited replayability due to its short length and lack of additional content, with only 72 puzzles available. Once players find optimal solutions, there is little incentive to replay, although some may revisit premium puzzles for deeper exploration. Overall, while enjoyable for its price, the game offers minimal long-term replay value.

    • “There are only 72 (45 regular + 27 premium) puzzles and the replay value is very small once you've found the perfect solutions, though with some premium puzzles you might want to examine your newfound solution in more detail.”
    • “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 Kami.”
    • “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.”
    • “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.”
  • emotional
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players report a mixed emotional experience with the game; while the soothing sounds and animations evoke feelings of relaxation and accomplishment, the jarring audio and punitive grading system can detract from enjoyment and create frustration. Overall, the game successfully elicits a sense of calm and satisfaction when puzzles are completed, despite some negative aspects that can overshadow these positive feelings.

    • “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.”
  • humor
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is particularly appealing to young kids, who find it hilarious and entertaining. Overall, reviewers consistently describe it as a funny and fantastic experience.

    • “Like, young kids think this game is hilarious.”
    • “Funny game”
    • “Funny, fantastic”
  • monetization
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 for the game instead of ongoing costs for hints, 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.”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game enjoyable initially, but it can become tedious over time, particularly with the last few bonus puzzles, which are often deemed unnecessary and frustrating.

    • “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.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users report that the hint system exhibits stability issues, particularly when attempting to access a second hint, which requires resetting the puzzle. This bug affects the overall gameplay experience.

    • “The hint system feels buggy when looking for a second hint; the puzzle must be reset.”
    • “The hint system feels buggy when looking for a second hint; the puzzle must be reset.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game lacks optimization for widescreen displays, which has disappointed users who expected better support for modern screen formats.

    • “No idea why it wasn’t optimized for widescreen, wish it had been.”

Buy KAMI

5h Median play time
12h Average play time
4-37h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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