Mystic Pillars
- March 4, 2020
- Holy Cow Productions
If you aren’t really into this type of puzzle game, Mystic Pillars probably won’t be for you. Fans of puzzle games that think the game sounds interesting though should enjoy their time with Mystic Pillars and should consider picking it up.
Get on SteamIn Mystic Pillars, players enter a mythical world to uncover a story of ancient secrets. Using intuitive mechanics, they must solve puzzles to destroy magical pillars threatening a once peaceful land. Dynamic weather and day/night cycles introduce additional complexity, making this a thought-provoking and immersive puzzle adventure.
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Reviews
- The game features a unique and engaging puzzle mechanic that is simple to understand yet satisfying to solve.
- The art style is visually appealing, and the music complements the atmosphere well, enhancing the overall experience.
- The game explores Indian culture and mythology, providing a refreshing narrative that sets it apart from typical puzzle games.
- The difficulty of the puzzles does not increase significantly as the game progresses, leading to a repetitive gameplay experience.
- The writing and dialogue can be poorly executed, detracting from the immersive storytelling aspect of the game.
- There are technical issues, such as lack of an undo button and occasional bugs, which can hinder the overall enjoyment of the game.
- story64 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in "Mystic Pillars" is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and well-integrated into the puzzle mechanics, while others criticize it as forgettable or poorly executed. The game's unique setting in ancient India and the use of Kannada narration add a distinct flavor, but the writing quality and predictability of plot twists detract from the overall experience for some. Despite these criticisms, many appreciate the art and music, which enhance the storytelling aspect.
“Highly recommended to anyone who likes puzzles and experiencing a story that wouldn't come from any American or European gaming company!”
“There is an interesting story and great art that will keep you engaged in between the puzzle solving.”
“Using a story set in India, narrated in Kannada is a bold choice which adds to its appeal for me, and it sets the game apart from being just another puzzle game.”
“Unfortunately, it fails because it's pretty obvious who you are talking to when they start telling the story, making the supposed reveal lame.”
“I could not enjoy the 'story' part of the game for this reason.”
“The story was fine, but I could take or leave it.”
- gameplay38 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by simple and intuitive mechanics that create engaging puzzles, often leading to satisfying "eureka" moments. However, the experience can become monotonous due to the limited introduction of new mechanics—only one new element, one-way arrows, is added throughout 100 levels—resulting in repetitive gameplay despite some challenging puzzles. While the art and story enhance the experience, the lack of variation in gameplay mechanics is a notable downside.
“Such a simple and engaging mechanic, with a fine story to support it.”
“The gameplay is largely fun and intuitive, and even a lot of the difficult puzzles will eventually be solved as you have a 'eureka' moment that makes you feel like a genius.”
“The gameplay is simple but the puzzles can be real brainteasers.”
“In addition to the unexpected difficulty spikes, there's the sheer repetition of gameplay. There are 100 levels and while some are more or less complicated, there's really no change in the basics of the puzzles.”
“Only downside: in 100 levels, only one new mechanic is introduced, so the game becomes repetitive after a while.”
“It would have been okay if there was some gameplay variation along the way as well, but there is none.”
- graphics34 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the gorgeous artwork and unique art style that ranges from cute to stunning. However, some users note that the visuals could benefit from more detail and criticize the user interface as unappealing. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, contributing positively to the game's aesthetic experience.
“Aesthetically pleasing visuals.”
“Gorgeous artwork, soothing music that hasn't annoyed me yet, and easy to understand gameplay is making me very pleased with my purchase.”
“This is a lovely puzzle game with some really beautiful artwork.”
“So, while I am ultimately recommending this game, be aware that it has several aspects (bland, barely competent artwork, random difficulty spikes, horribly repetitive gameplay) which are less than positive, and proceed accordingly.”
“The artworks, music, and story add a lot.”
“Clever & fresh take on the casual puzzle game genre with unique design and visuals.”
- music28 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it fantastic and well-matched to the environment, others note issues with jarring transitions between different screens and repetitive level music during prolonged gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is generally appreciated for its soothing qualities, though it can become monotonous if players are stuck on a level for too long.
“The music is also great and immediately obvious, as I sat for a few minutes after launching the game just listening with the menu open.”
“Gorgeous artwork, soothing music that hasn't annoyed me yet, and easy to understand gameplay is making me very pleased with my purchase.”
“The map is divided into 8 villages, each with its background info and unique looks (and music, as mentioned above), and as you progress, dry lands become green and lively again, it's a really nice touch.”
“The art is minimal and the cut-scenes are equally lowest common denominator, high-school art-class style illustrations, and the music is humdrum, so it's not exactly a feast for the senses.”
“The issue is that these different screens have different music and different soundscapes, with no good transition in between.”
“The effect is jarring, going from the quite serene music of the map screen to the often rhythmical music of the puzzles.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its relaxing and immersive qualities, enhanced by the use of original language, which adds depth to the experience. It is particularly recommended for players who enjoy logic puzzles set in a thematic environment, even if the gameplay lacks significant variation.
“I still find the game is well worth trying out for its theme and relaxing atmosphere.”
“Hearing the original language was definitely a plus for me and enhanced the atmosphere.”
“Definitely recommended if you're into logic puzzles with an atmospheric setting, don't require much variation, and want an ancient spirit to tell you how smart you are.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game excessive and lengthy, particularly for a title within the casual genre, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.
“The game feels way too grindy and lengthy for a casual genre.”
“The grinding aspect makes the game feel tedious and uninviting.”
“I found myself spending too much time grinding instead of enjoying the gameplay.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report stability issues, particularly with the skip menu occasionally going off-screen and the game freezing when the pause button is spam-clicked to skip dialogue after completing a level. These glitches can disrupt gameplay and detract from the overall experience.
“Sometimes, the skip menu goes off screen, and if you spam click the pause button to skip the dialogue, it freezes the game after completing the level.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization appears inconsistent, with some users experiencing issues where inputs, such as mouse commands, are not registered during initial attempts but function correctly after multiple tries.
“Performance-wise, for some odd reason, the game would not register my mouse or any of my inputs in the first two times that I ran it, but magically worked fine on my third attempt.”
