Coming from the solo dev Yannick Audéoud and publisher Misty Whale, Orbyss is a meditative, mind-bending puzzle that allows you to relax your senses and focus on figuring out the chains of actions that will let you advance to another level – and to the new puzzles.
You play as a spark of energy that exists in a bioluminescent mechanical world under attack by an evil shadow, bringing the disorder to the almost mathematical rules that run this place. To fight back and revive the universe around you, you can bring the Orbs to life, controlling and navigating them to undo the corruption.
At first, the fate of this digital realm rests only on a single Orb that can climb, activate devices, and rush through the tubes spiraling around the place. But very soon, the game will start trusting you with more mechanics: first, you will be able to control multiple orbs, not only ordering them around and dragging them after yourself, but jumping from one to another to interact with devices around the level.
Swapping between Orbs almost feels like playing a co-op, but you are your own partner. Giving an Orb a specific order, then jumping over to the next one to see the job done can be immensely satisfying – especially when you have timed it just right and saved yourself another swap. On the other hand, there’s no one else to blame when a solution is simply not coming together, it’s all your big beautiful brain rebelling against you and refusing to work.
Just when you have gotten used to and comfortable with these mechanics, Orbyss will introduce new ones to keep you on your toes: in addition to changing up the space, you will also learn to control time by freezing the Orbs, then you get to fly drones, and more.
There is a great balance in the way that puzzles are presented and unfolded. First, you get a couple of interactions that allow you to test and feel how the new mechanic works. Then, you actively start using it to make your way further, actively adding in the previously learned tricks.
Even then, the puzzles are usually involved enough to make you stop and think, maybe backtrack a little to look at the available devices and interactive objects from different angles and map out the 3D space in your mind, but not annoyingly complex to make you want to go and check the solution on YouTube instead of figuring it out yourself.
For those who are looking for a challenge instead of relaxation or perhaps both at once, there are also dozens of achievements that require you to find a way through under a certain period of time or without using a certain mechanic. For example, avoiding swapping between the Orbs or completing the room with a certain number of bridge activations.
Whether you are looking to relax after work as you solve a few puzzles or are seeking something to rack your brains over, Orbyss has your back. Deliberate control over button-mashing and speed is the name of the game. The fact that Orbyss manages to avoid frustration even when it takes a few tries to progress the level is what makes you want to come back and try again.
The developer had spent 10 years designing the game to perfection, and in addition to the puzzle mechanics, that can also be said about the visuals and sounds, both created with the goal of relaxing and letting go.
After seeing the first trailer of Orbyss, I was expecting it to be more demanding on the senses. After all, the thought of playing the game in constant darkness, while also being surrounded by luminescent objects, sounded like a trial for one’s eyes.
However, if there’s a single word to describe Orbyss, it is meditative. The surroundings are not dark, they are dimmed to emphasize the gentle glow of the objects around you. The universe of Orbyss is formed by the soft purples, blues, greens… and the oppressing reds that become more prevalent in the later levels.
You can’t help but want to fix them and return this digital world to its harmony – which works perfectly with the game’s goal of completing puzzles, lighting up the darkened sections and bringing them back to life, and chasing the red shadows away. Not only that, but the shadows look organic whereas the rest of Orbyss is the kingdom of synthetic life with a vague TRON flair – the way they move, the sounds they make, don’t fit this organized space.
The soundtrack and ambient sounds are similarly subtle and calming, with distant clicks and drone chittering accompanying you on your way. There’s no extra noise – whether visual or audio, which further immerses you in the minimalist, quiet environment that allows your imagination and brain to work out the solution to the myriad puzzles surrounding you.
Some puzzles include sound-based components, but you can turn on the “visual cues” option if you dislike them or play without sound.
Orbyss officially launched on Steam on October 29, available with a 15% launch discount for 2 weeks after the release. So far, the game has received Positive reviews from the community, with users praising the clutter-free environment, minimalistic design and atmosphere, as well as mind-bending 3D puzzles that require spatial awareness.
If you are unsure whether Orbyss is the right game for you, I urge you to give a try to the Demo, available for free. It might take a bit of time to get used to the feel of controls and the tricks behind the devices scattered all around you, but once you do, you can experience Orbyss at its best: calm, logical but mysterious, and meditative all the way through.
Toying around with space, time and Orbs made me fondly remember playing Portal – the internal high-five at figuring out and successfully completing the next step is always a thrill.
