Pan-Pan, A Tiny Big Adventure
© 2017 SPELKRAFT
As an unnamed, castaway astronaut, you awaken from a crash to a set of bearded inhabitants attempting to repair your ship, and begin your trek through a perplexing plain of environmental storytelling and whimsical tunes to find the parts they need to get you back to spacefaring. This is how Pan-Pan begins, and each puzzle solved draws you further into its virtual world as reward. Interactions are simple, using single button presses to pick up items and operate strange machinery dotting each area. Rooms themselves are engaging microcosms of problem-solving that can be approached in any order you feel most comfortable. Cozy's the word here, but there's plenty of intrigue too as you discover increasingly tough problems to solve and encounter the planet's mild inhabitants. This is a game that can be enjoyed at your own pace. Whether you've got time for just a quick puzzle or a few full areas, it's up to you. Some downsides are the game's rather short length and lack of replayability,however what's here is enjoyably brain-teasing. You won't be blazing through some of the tougher head-scratchers at play, but the satisfaction of coming back to overcome that puzzle that had you stuck is a great feeling.
$3513, Nintendo Switch, Steam, iPhone, iPad, Mac OSX, Windows
Teaches: puzzle-solving, exploration, symbol recognition,
CTR Rating: 82.5%