Game: Nurikabe World
Genre: Puzzle, Strategy, Casual, Logic
System: Steam (Windows)
Developer | Publisher: Hemisquare
Controller Support: Yes
Price: US $9.99 | UK £7.51 | EU € 8,53
Release Date: January 13th 2025
Review code used, with many thanks to ThinkyGames and Hemisquare.
Nurikabe World is a cozy logic grid puzzle game that challenges players to create islands and rivers following just a few simple rules. Solving each level rewards players with both a sense of accomplishment for their little grey cells as well as a beautiful scenescape.
Just a Few Rules
There are only a few rules in Nurikabe World, all of which were introduced and incorporated gradually as I made my way through the tutorial levels. The first few levels were designed so I only needed to focus on creating islands that were the same size as each number. The next few levels then added a new condition: water tiles were not allowed to form 2×2 squares. Finally, the last rule stated that all water tiles needed to be connected in order to form a continuous river.
Even with the basic rules mastered, I was still learning new logic-based assumptions and strategies that are very useful in puzzle solving. For example, players can assume that the square between two numbered squares should be water since the numbered squares indicate two separate islands. Players can also assume that a body of water with only one free tile to expand should be expanded because all water tiles must be connected to form a continuous river.
A Hint Please!
As the levels got progressively larger and more difficult, I did need a little nudge here and there to guide me in the right direction. While Nurikabe World doesn’t have an explicit hint system that gives you the solution directly, there is an option to toggle errors. This way, you can see which squares are illegal and which rules they are breaking.
Peaceful Cozy Puzzle Times
All of the Nurikabe levels take place on cozy minimalist grids across the different seasons. As you create the correctly sized islands, nature grows in with cherry blossoms in the spring, bamboo shoots in the summer, maple trees in the fall, and snowy evergreens in the winter. Shrines, gates, and cottages also populate the maps to complete these relaxing landscapes.
The music is also very soothing and doesn’t distract players from focusing on the puzzles at hand. That, coupled with the ambience track of rustling leaves and chirping birds, helped me stay relaxed as I worked through the harder levels as well.
Even More Levels
There often comes the sad time when you’re finished with a game but are still craving more (a common experience for me with Picross games, especially). The good news is that there are many more Nurikabe levels after the main campaign! New daily puzzles are added each day to keep players coming back. I also loved seeing the User Levels mode, where players can create and upload their own custom levels. There’s even an Infinite mode that generates new random puzzles based on different parameters and settings that you can choose.
Conclusion
Overall, Nurikabe World is a fantastic game for players who love grid-based logic puzzles, such as Picross and Minesweeper. Outside of the main levels, there are still plenty more, whether user-created or randomly generated, making Nurikabe World a game that I’ll always come back to boot up when I’m itching for a few puzzles.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up: 
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