In this After Light Fades review, I’ll detail why it is a must-have for any fan of the genre. After Light Fades is a puzzle game made by Orchid Of Redemption, a developer who’s recent releases include Joon Shining (a golf puzzle platformer of all things) and Dream of the Star Haven. Their newest title strips back on some ideas and leaves platforming and golf to the side to make a dedicated puzzle game.
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After Light Fades Review (PC)
- Title: After Light Fades
- Developer: Orchid of Redemption
- Publisher: Lamplight Forest
- Primary Genre: Puzzle
Story
There is a story amidst all of the levels and I won’t spoil it but it is one with depth and emotional resonance. Each turn of the page and each new stage helps Alice deal with loss. The story isn’t in your face but it does provide some extra gravity to the gameplay and what you’re doing which in my eyes is usually all the story needs to do.
Gameplay
This is where the main focus of the game is and I honestly adore what the developers put together. The base idea is pretty simple, move the stone over the key, unlock the door, walk out of the level. The brilliance comes in how the game continues to build on that simple foundation with more and more new mechanics and ideas.
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By the first hour, you’ll be dealing with crystals that drag one kind of stone after it, crystals that turn one object into another, objects that you can only push if there’s a free square opposite it for you to move, theres a vine thingy, and even fire that interacts with the objects around it.
This is a game that will leave even the most dedicated puzzlers scratching their head, the solution to a level isn’t always simple and sometimes there’s an intentional trick or two for you to see through before arriving at the correct answer.
The constant building on ideas and adding in new mechanics is what will keep someone playing. There’s an intrigue around what the next twist could be, about what the next level could possibly throw at the player. It’s riveting and engaging and a puzzle game fans’ dream.
Controls
I found that on the Steam Deck, the controls could feel a little loose and admittedly, the way I navigate each level and interact with each new object did take some getting used to. The title is fairly generous about that, though as a simple press of a button can undo your moves back as far as you want and resetting the board is as simple as one button press.
After Light Fades Review – Last Word on Gaming Viewpoint
Despite not being a big puzzle fan myself and playing on the Steam Deck I really enjoyed the gameplay. The simple foundation and constant layering of ideas and mechanics made for an interesting and entertaining gameplay loop that is sure to scratch the itch of dedicated puzzlers. There’s a decent runtime to the game that should provide hours of fun and a nice story to keep track of as you play.
