Yankai's Peak
- July 13, 2017
- Kenny Sun
- 9h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Apple Store"Yankai's Peak" is a tactile, meditative puzzle game featuring over 130 levels of pyramid-pushing action. Each level explores a unique mechanic, challenging players to solve increasingly complex puzzles. With no IAP, immersive sound design, and taptic feedback, this game offers a satisfying, handcrafted experience for fans of puzzle games. .
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Reviews
- Yankai's Peak features innovative and engaging puzzle mechanics that challenge players to think creatively about movement and positioning.
- The game has a well-designed difficulty curve, introducing new mechanics gradually while maintaining a satisfying level of challenge throughout its 127 levels.
- The minimalist aesthetic, combined with pleasant sound effects and animations, creates an enjoyable and immersive puzzle-solving experience.
- The control scheme can be awkward and takes time to get used to, which may lead to frustration for some players.
- There are reports of save data being deleted, which can be a significant drawback for players who want to progress without losing their achievements.
- Some players felt that the puzzles became easier as the game progressed, with a lack of substantial challenge in later levels.
- gameplay45 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by innovative mechanics and clever level design that challenge players while introducing new concepts gradually. While some players found the initial controls and mechanics difficult to grasp, the overall experience becomes satisfying as they progress, with a variety of puzzles that encourage creative problem-solving. However, some critiques highlight awkward controls and a perceived lack of depth in the later stages, suggesting that while the game is engaging, it could benefit from further exploration of its mechanics.
“The pyramid moving mechanic is itself quite cool and fairly intuitive once you get the hang of it.”
“The puzzles are all well-thought-out, exploring every which way mechanics are utilized, and are appropriately challenging.”
“The gameplay is relatively simple: you can move freely in 3 directions (provided there's ground there) or anchor yourself at one of the 3 tips of your pyramid and swing in an arc along the other two directions.”
“Unfortunately, the resulting game mechanics are awkward, and are made worse by poor controls where the player has to select the corner on which the piece will rotate.”
“The first few levels I couldn't really grasp how things move; I solved them more by trial and error, but that became impossible once the harder levels rolled in, since they require a thorough understanding of the game mechanics.”
“I've played lots of puzzle games over the years, but rarely have I started out so confused by the mechanics as here.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a beautiful, minimalistic art style that enhances the overall gameplay experience. While some players found the abstract design lacking elegance, the visuals effectively complement the clever puzzle mechanics and create a sense of tension and release. Overall, the simple yet pleasing graphics contribute to a peaceful and engaging puzzle-solving atmosphere.
“Yankai's Peak is a gem of ingenuity, with perfectly crafted levels and very intuitive but deep mechanics, accompanied by a beautiful minimalistic art style.”
“Graphics and sound neatly emphasize the tension and release of solving a puzzle: pyramids on their destination tiles shake in anticipation, and when the final piece is in place, everything shatters for your victory.”
“Overall, a great, peaceful puzzle game, with almost minimalistic graphic design and the ability to make the player feel smart after completing its levels.”
“The design is abstract, but personally I didn't find it particularly elegant.”
“Overall, a great, peaceful puzzle game, with almost minimalistic graphic design.”
“I thought this would just be another puzzle game with okay graphics and moderate difficulty puzzles, but this is way better.”
- music6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for its quality, with many reviewers highlighting its relaxing and sublime nature, which enhances the overall experience. The soundtrack complements the stylish visuals, creating an engaging atmosphere that contributes to the game's appeal. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, adding depth and enjoyment to the gameplay.
“However, the very stylish presentation, bright bold colors, and relaxing music makes for a great experience, as does the good number of levels and difficulty.”
“This game is amazing, the vivid visual effects, astonishing; the music and sound effects, sublime; the hard yet not (usually) too demanding level design, ingenious; and the gradual additions of new game mechanics, perfect.”
“Terrific music and sounds.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find that while many abstract minimalist puzzle games can be tedious and lack creativity, Yankai's Peak stands out as a more engaging option, suggesting that its grinding elements are less burdensome and more rewarding.
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for poor performance, including frequent freezing and various bugs, such as issues with undo functionality and recognition of final piece positions.
“The game suffers from terrible performance issues, including frequent freezing and several bugs, such as undo actions failing to restore lost pieces and final positions not being recognized.”
“Optimization is a major problem; the game often lags and crashes, making it frustrating to play.”
“There are significant optimization flaws, with the game running poorly and experiencing various glitches that disrupt gameplay.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is limited due to the absence of user-designed levels, resulting in players primarily revisiting the same environments without significant variation.
“The game offers a variety of choices that significantly change the outcome, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
“With multiple character builds and strategies to explore, I find myself coming back for more every time.”
“The dynamic events and random elements ensure that no two playthroughs are ever the same, keeping the experience engaging.”
“There aren't user-designed levels, so the replay value amounts to revisiting the same levels.”
“The lack of variety in gameplay makes it feel repetitive after just a few runs.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
