KAMI
- January 23, 2014
- State of Play
- 4h 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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Mac OS
PC
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Mobile Platform
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Reviews
- Beautiful and relaxing visuals with a soothing soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience.
- Challenging puzzles that require strategic thinking, providing a satisfying sense of accomplishment when solved.
- Simple mechanics that are easy to learn but offer depth, making it enjoyable for both casual and dedicated puzzle enthusiasts.
- Limited number of puzzles, which may lead to a short overall gameplay experience and reduced replayability.
- The hint system can be frustrating, with a daily limit that may hinder progress on tougher puzzles.
- Some puzzles, particularly in the premium section, can feel overly complex or tedious, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
- music85 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its soothing and calming qualities, often described as gentle and fitting for the game's aesthetic. However, many users note that it consists of a single repetitive track, which can become monotonous over time, and some prefer to play without it to focus on the puzzles. While the sound effects, particularly the paper folding, are well-received, there is a desire for more musical variety during gameplay.
“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 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.”
“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.”
“The only downside is that there is no music while doing the puzzle itself, which is fine as well since it allows you to focus, but the sounds are still present.”
- graphics68 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful, colorful, and aesthetically pleasing design, which effectively captures the essence of paper folding. Players appreciate the smooth animations and calming soundtrack that enhance the overall experience, although some find certain visuals repetitive or less relaxing. Overall, the game's art style and attention to detail contribute significantly to its charm and immersive gameplay.
“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.”
“A deceptively difficult puzzle game with absolutely beautiful visuals.”
“The visuals were repetitive and bland, though the animation was very smooth and particularly well-done.”
“I was a bit less thrilled with the levels that had patterned squares, as the busy visuals were less relaxing.”
“(lack of graphics settings is a shared downside for some games from this studio, including this and Lumino City. I haven't tried other titles, but I'd assume it's true for them too.)”
- gameplay32 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simple yet engaging mechanics, offering a relaxing and aesthetically pleasing experience. Players appreciate the intriguing puzzle design and smooth controls, which provide a satisfying challenge without becoming overly frustrating. While the game is best enjoyed on mobile devices, it maintains a charming minimalist style that enhances its accessibility and entertainment value.
“The level design and puzzle design is intriguing whilst also being pretty and smooth, making the gameplay incredibly entertaining and in fact a marvel for the eyes as well.”
“Relaxing gameplay and nice animations.”
“The gameplay feels good, the controls are perfect.”
“Paper folding in this game is entirely aesthetic - there's nothing to do with any actual physical mechanics of a sheet of paper.”
“Arbitrary and dumb mechanic.”
“In addition, I found myself wishing that the paper folding mechanic was a more integral part of the game; as it is, it's just an admittedly gorgeous, mesmerizing way to fill up a space.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charming Japanese aesthetic, serene music, and smooth graphics, creating a relaxing and meditative experience. Players appreciate the low-pressure puzzles that enhance the calming ambiance, making it enjoyable without inducing stress. Overall, the attention to detail contributes to a captivating and immersive atmosphere.
“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.”
- story5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a stark contrast in opinions regarding the story aspect; some users criticize the game for lacking any narrative or worldbuilding, while others praise it for its immersive and layered storytelling, rich symbolism, and vibrant character design. Overall, the consensus suggests that the game either fails to deliver a meaningful story or excels in creating a compelling narrative 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 color and greatly contrast each other.”
“No story, no worldbuilding, nothing like that.”
“C'mon, rugrats: Search for Reptar had a golf game... similar par system, also a type of puzzle game... way more story and came out in 1998.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability due to its short length and lack of meta features or additional content, with only 72 puzzles available. Once players discover the optimal solutions, there is little incentive to revisit the game, making its value questionable at the current price point.
“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 puzzles (45 regular + 27 premium), 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.”
“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 puzzles (45 regular + 27 premium) 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.”
- 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.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express mixed emotions regarding the game's atmosphere; while some appreciate the soothing sound effects and animations that evoke relaxation, others find the grading system and jarring audio to be detrimental, leading to feelings of frustration and discomfort.
“It instantly made me feel like I was relaxing on a warm, sunny day with not a care.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the sequel relies heavily on microtransactions for hints, offering only one free hint and lacking a flat purchase option. Players express frustration with this model, preferring a one-time payment for the game instead of ongoing costs for hints.
“The sequel pushes in-game transactions a bit harder; it seems you only get one hint for free, and there's no option to buy the game outright—it's all microtransactions for hints.”
“The sequel pushes in-game transactions a bit harder; it seems you only get one hint for free, and there's no option to just buy the game outright—it's all 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.”
- 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 necessitates resetting the puzzle.
“The hint system feels buggy when looking for a second hint; the puzzle must be reset.”
“I frequently experience crashes during gameplay, which disrupts the overall experience.”
“The game often freezes at critical moments, forcing me to restart and lose progress.”
