Patrick's Parabox

Patrick’s Parabox is a fun puzzler for all ages, whether you like puzzles or not. It’s easy to play, and I found myself becoming easily addicted to solving each puzzle, losing hours of time into this fun little game.

Patrick's Parabox is an award-winning puzzle game featuring over 350 hand-crafted puzzles that explore a unique recursive system of boxes within boxes. Players manipulate boxes and navigate challenging mechanics, learning to use infinity to their advantage. Soothed by a calming soundtrack, players delve deeper into the system, discovering new ideas and mechanics as they go. The game has received critical acclaim, including the Excellence in Design award in the Independent Games Festival 2020.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,578 reviews

gameplay121 positive mentions

story10 negative mentions

Innovative and mind-bending puzzle mechanics that explore recursion and paradoxes in a fun way.
Well-paced difficulty curve that gradually introduces new concepts, making it accessible for both casual and experienced players.
Each puzzle feels unique and rewarding, with satisfying 'aha' moments upon solving.

Some puzzles may feel too easy for experienced puzzle solvers, lacking the challenge found in other games like Baba Is You.
A few levels can cause motion sickness due to zooming mechanics, which may detract from the experience for some players.
The game could benefit from a built-in level editor for user-generated content, as the current custom level support is not very accessible.

gameplay
422 mentions
29 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Patrick's Parabox" is characterized by its innovative and mind-bending mechanics, particularly its recursive puzzle design that allows for nested interactions. Players appreciate the gradual introduction of new mechanics, which keeps the experience fresh and engaging without overwhelming them. The puzzles are well-crafted, providing a satisfying challenge that encourages experimentation and creative problem-solving, making it a standout title in the puzzle genre.
- “Clever puzzles with a fun central mechanic of puzzle arenas being nested within other puzzle arenas, including themselves.”
- “The mechanics of the game are beyond creative and taught so naturally throughout the runtime of the game.”
- “Each level builds on a theme and new mechanic, and the mechanics are clever.”
- “I think it might actually be a bit disappointing with how the last couple of mechanics kind of stopped evolving on neat concepts and became focused on creating scenarios.”
- “The puzzles are challenging, and there's a decent variety of mechanics, but it doesn't have any grabs to help keep you invested.”
- “I have no idea what the puzzle designer was trying to achieve with this mechanic, but for me, it totally ruins the game.”
music
64 mentions
48 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and calming qualities, enhancing the overall experience and fitting well with the game's aesthetic. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to create a joyful and immersive atmosphere, with tracks that adapt to different gameplay moments. However, some players found certain aspects of the music to be repetitive or less engaging, suggesting a mixed reception overall.
- “Sublime soundtrack.”
- “The music and interface are very soothing.”
- “The calming music is wonderful, and the art style is both simple and kind of cute.”
- “Minor presentation issues: some aspects of the game's presentation, such as the UI and looping background music, could benefit from further polish to enhance the overall experience.”
- “Also on a different note, the soundtrack just really does not do it for me; it's forgettable and annoying.”
- “Except for one thing, and that is the music.”
graphics
58 mentions
38 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist and clean aesthetic that enhances gameplay without being distracting. Players appreciate the charming and cute visuals, which complement the engaging puzzles and calming soundtrack, creating an overall pleasant atmosphere. While some find the graphics basic, they effectively support the game's mechanics and allow for easy comprehension of complex puzzles.
- “Delightful visuals and soundtrack: the charming visuals and Priscilla Snow's meditative electronic soundtrack create a cheerful and captivating atmosphere, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “The music and minimalist graphics were charming and added to the experience.”
- “Lovely graphics, simple and intuitive rules with challenging puzzles.”
- “It's not aesthetic.”
- “The graphics are simple and the gameplay is also simple.”
- “A few more minutes could have been spent on the graphics, too.”
story
17 mentions
18 % positive mentions
24 % neutral mentions
59 % negative mentions
The game lacks a narrative, with users noting that it is purely focused on puzzles without any plot or character development. While some players appreciate the absence of a story, viewing it as a positive for a puzzle-centric experience, others feel that a narrative could have enhanced the overall engagement. Overall, the consensus is that the game is designed for those who enjoy logical challenges rather than storytelling.
- “This persisted until pretty much the end-game - there were a few headscratchers in the challenge and appendix missions, but otherwise the difficulty remained pretty consistent.”
- “(for me it's a positive, but some may prefer puzzles wrapped in a story or some form of progression.)”
- “Oh, you wanted to know the story?”
- “There's no story to speak of, so you'll really only be playing it for the sense of completion.”
- “There is no story; this is a pure puzzler.”
- “There's no story or comedy or anything additional like that, which I think this game could have used.”
humor
15 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and absurdity, often eliciting genuine laughter from players through inventive puzzle mechanics and self-referential humor. Despite minimal dialogue, the game effectively conveys a deep sense of fun and ridiculousness, making the challenging puzzles not only engaging but also entertaining. Overall, players find the humor to be a standout aspect that enhances their gaming experience.
- “Very hilarious and entertaining puzzle game.”
- “I loved it so much, constantly laughing at the utter ridiculousness of the paraboxes and mindboggled from the simplest rooms with subtle, clever solutions.”
- “The game had me giggling several times throughout my playthrough with all the hilariously absurd things it managed to pull off.”
emotional
5 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong sense of satisfaction and joy from solving puzzles, often feeling intellectually stimulated and reminiscent of the emotional impact of classic games like Portal. While the game may lack a deep narrative or emotional resonance found in titles like Maquette or Linelight, the engaging mechanics and abundance of levels provide a fulfilling experience.
- “The introduction of the recursion mechanic made me feel genuine joy.”
- “Consistently made me feel smart and consistently blew my mind.”
- “This game makes me feel like Portal made me feel in 2007.”
grinding
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be manageable, with only occasional frustrations, such as tedious setup processes for certain levels. Overall, the game successfully expands on ideas without making the grinding feel overly repetitive or tedious.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Out of all 364 levels in the game, there was only 1 I got kind of annoyed by. I can't even say I dislike the level; it just had a tedious setup process to get to the actual puzzle I liked, which I did about two dozen times before figuring it out.”
atmosphere
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by delightful visuals and a meditative electronic soundtrack that create a cheerful and captivating experience. While the puzzles are well-designed within a clean and relaxing environment, some players noted a decline in musical quality from the demo to the full game, describing the latter as featuring less engaging "elevator music." Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its charm and tranquility, enhancing the gameplay experience.
- “Delightful visuals and soundtrack: the charming visuals and Priscilla Snow's meditative electronic soundtrack create a cheerful and captivating atmosphere, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “Extremely well designed puzzles wrapped in a clean and relaxing atmosphere.”
- “Oh, and the music is lovely, perfectly fits the atmosphere of peaceful mind-bending.”
replayability
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight that the game's puzzles offer a varied difficulty level, making it accessible for younger players while still providing a challenge for adults. This diversity encourages replayability, as players can revisit puzzles and experience them differently each time.
- “The puzzles are a nice difficulty, some of which are playable by my 5-year-old son, while others leave me scratching my head for a while.”
- “Sometimes this includes solving a puzzle without knowing how, which is great for replayability.”
stability
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a stable experience with the game, highlighting its fun and clean design while noting the absence of bugs. However, some feel the design is quite simple.
- “The game is fun, clean, and bug-free, showcasing a good design despite its simplicity.”
- “I appreciate the stability of the game; it runs smoothly without any glitches.”
- “The overall experience is stable, allowing for uninterrupted gameplay and enjoyment.”
optimization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The levels are well-optimized, striking a balance between challenge and accessibility, making them engaging without being overly difficult.
- “The levels are perfectly optimized: not too easy, but not brutally hard.”
- “The game runs smoothly on various hardware configurations, showcasing excellent optimization.”
- “I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the gameplay mechanics for a balanced experience.”