Backlog Review - Zenge (Steam)

A short and simple puzzle game available on Steam that manages to be a decent time killer, but not much else.

Gameplay - 6/10

Zenge is, at it's core, a simple block sliding puzzle.  You select pieces that are different shapes, and slide them around the board until they fit together to form a picture.  The picture isn't obvious until the pieces are in the correct location, in which they fill in with pieces of the larger photo.  This mechanic isn't very well utilized though, as the end result is often still only a segment of a larger photo.  This results in you feeling like you are completing a very small portion of a larger portrait, because you are. 

Fortunately, the game features some pretty interesting mechanics that spice things up over the 50+ levels.  Teleportation, shrinking and sliding, just to name a couple.  While some mechanics definitely don't feel like they get utilized as much as others, the ones that do get the lion's share of attention are fairly imaginative and keep things from getting stale too quickly.

Zenge does have a slightly unique take (though it's not totally original) is the sense of space.  By that I mean, you have to move pieces in a proper order or they will not go past one another.  Anyone who played titles where you have to move cars around parking spaces to get a single car out will recognize this as basically the exact same thing, only with abstract shapes.

The biggest issue I found is that the level difficulties aren't very consistent.  While much of the game isn't difficult anyways, mostly being a matter of trial and error and less being a matter of really thinking about the puzzles, some seem to take more effort than others.  Which, is of course, ok.  The problem is the order is often as such that a tougher level will be followed by 3 easy levels or an easy level will see the next level have a somewhat steeper learning only to have the difficulty plummet back down





Graphics and Sound - 7/10

Zenge is, if nothing else,  pretty looking game.  The issue is really only in how abstract it feels, without any real context.  Other than the art styles being similar, there doesn't appear to be anything thematically tying them together.  This means it all kind of feels weird and abstract for no other reason then to be weird and abstract.  It's fine, it just won't be everyone's cup of tea.

The sound effects are equally bizarre and almost transcendental, yet they all fit together and make sense as a whole.  Zenge does a good job at that.  While the pieces don't seem to fit too well as a individuals, the whole experience just makes sense somehow.  I can easily see people being very turned off but the presentation, but I for one think it works.  I just can't explain why.



Replayability and Achievements - 4/10

Unfortunately, this is where the game kind of lets you down a bit.  The decision to only include one achievement is actually fine.  Given the way the game kind of feels like you should be able to complete it in a handful of sittings, and how the various mechanics blend together, it would be weird if there were incremental "story" achievements if you will.  Frankly, if the game had more replayability, I think the decision to only have one achievement would easily net this a 7 or an 8.  However, the games replayability is practically non existent.

Once you complete the game, it simply loads you back to the first puzzle.  This results in a feeling that all you can do is do it again.  It's not a total wash, as you may be able to return to it at a later time and have forgotten the solutions.  But considering the game isn't crazy long to begin with, the need to distance yourself from it to enjoy it later just feels superfluous.  As it stands, one runs good enough, and that's just too bad.



Final Score - 6/10

Zenge is fine, and while it won't take you too awful long to play through it, it's worth a look.  If you want a puzzle game that's easily forgotten after completion, Zenge is a great fit.  If you want to be thinking about it longer after you're done, you'll likely be disappointed.