I played Nomori: Prologue, which is an early pre-alpha version of the final game Nomori. Right now, it’s serving as a demo for the game, but a newer demo is in the works. The game was developed and published by Enchanted Works. The Steam page says it’s a “mind bending adventure game”, and boy, is that true!! I played with a controller on a PC.
The Backstory of Nomori
You play as Kiko, who accidentally fell into the fairytale world of Nomori. It’s inhabited by all kinds of spirits. They live there in four different seasons and are struggling with the slow decay of their world. You are accompanied by Yuki, your new spirit companion. Your goal is to travel through the seasons and meet all the Spirit Guardians who can help to reconnect Nomori and bring Kiko back home.
The World of Nomori
The world is full of pastels and soft scenery presented in 3D. It feels very calm and serene, and the soundtrack reinforces that feeling. The devs tell me the demo takes place in the fall domain, hence that particular color scheme. The full game will feature the other seasons as well, so I expect slightly different color schemes for each season. The art direction was inspired by Japanese animation, like the Ghibli movies.
There are portals everywhere, and the entire world reminds me of M.C. Escher’s art. It’s hard to know what’s up and what’s down. Entering a portal can change your perspective in a big way!
The worlds you encounter can be sideways, upside down and every which way. The game also reminds me a bit of Monument Valley, but with a much larger world. In addition to portals, there are gates, which are spirit doorways. They connect the various islands of Nomori.
Gameplay Mechanics
Your character does not need to sleep, does not have energy levels, and there is no day/night cycle, which makes it nice and cozy. The game has no map. It’s not necessary. You can just keep moving from one portal to the next one.
There are Echostones, which are respawn points or save locations. If you should fall off one of the islands, you won’t die. You’ll just respawn at the last Echostone. And there are a lot of Echostones, so it’s hard to lose progress in the game. I appreciate that! Knowing that I’ll just respawn in the same place encourages me to take chances and try things that possibly won’t work. No worries! I’ll just end up back where I was and be encouraged to try a different action.
In the final game, there will be four unique domains. Each will have its own environment, puzzle mechanics and cast of spirits.
When playing the Nomori demo, you can choose what level you want to play next. There are 18 to choose from, and you can decide to skip some levels if you want.
The gameplay in the full game will be a bit different. According to one of the game developers, “there will be forks in the sequence of levels so you can decide the order, and it’s a possibility to skip one of those if they’re difficult. But all important story levels will be mandatory. The full game should have about 40 levels.
The devs wanted the demo to showcase the full range of puzzles in the game, so the difficulty curve of the puzzles is pretty steep. For example, the final demo level will be a late-game level in the full game, meaning the players will have had more time to learn and master the puzzle mechanics. In the final game, it will be a slower progression and will probably feel a bit easier to play.
Slime Keepers, Slimebuns and Other Unique Things
Within the world, there are numerous gates that are sealed with some sort of substance that looks kind of pink/purple and “oozy”. This substance can be removed by a Slimebun so that you can enter the gate. But what’s a Slimebun, you may ask. It’s the product of the Slime Keeper plant.
The Slimebun looks like a big square and has uses beyond opening up gates. You can also lift it and move it to serve your purposes. So far, I’ve used it as a step for Kiko and a way to connect two bridge parts. There may be more uses in the final game.
I’ve learned that Slimebuns don’t fit in every opening or portal. In those cases, I had to use some creativity to get the Slimebun where I needed it to be. As the Steam page says, you need to think outside the box.
I also met up with a giant cat. He spoke in riddles but gave me some hints of what I should do. And I noticed fish swimming in the air around me. What??
Final Thoughts
The current demo on Steam is a bit old. It still represents most of the mechanics and the aesthetics of the full game, but the devs are hard at work improving the game and adding to it. The world will remain a series of interconnected but somewhat standalone puzzles. And when the full game is released, there will be much more to it, including a storyline with more characters. When the full game is close to release, the current demo will be replaced with a newer one. So while you are encouraged to try the demo now, be aware that the next iteration of it (and the full game) will be even better!
The developers, Enchanted Works, are an indie studio of 6 in the Netherlands. Nomori is the first game they are working on as a studio. I reached out to them for a bit of assistance at one point, and they quickly got back to me with some suggestions. That’s a good sign in my mind. I always feel that a development team that is quick to help a player is a development team that is committed to their game.
If you like mind-bending games like Monument Valley, Nomori: Prologue is right up your alley. It’s projected to be released in early 2026.
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