Game: Paraido
Genre: Adventure, Indie, Casual
System: Steam (Windows, macOS)
Developer | Publisher: HexTecGames
Controller Support: Yes
Price: US $ 8.99 | UK £ 7.35 | EU € 8,79
Release Date: October 16th, 2023
Review code used with many thanks to HexTecGames.
The Gameplay
Paraido is, as mentioned above, a puzzle game. It has two types of puzzles: fitting shapes into a more extensive form or connecting two hexagons by building a maze within the more significant form. The structure is in the middle of the screen, and the shapes, whether you’ll be fitting them in or using them to create a maze, are on the side. You can rotate them using the mouse wheel or q/e on the keyboard.
The forms sometimes have holes within them. You’ll have to rotate the shapes around them. The game offers hints throughout the gameplay: for example, if you have similar pieces, you can likely put them symmetrically within the shape. The form of the pieces can also hint at where you can put them. Sometimes, the color of the parts can also help; on some levels, you might need to arrange them from lightest to darkest.
A Relaxing Experience?
The description for Paraido on Steam is “relaxing yet challenging.” It is an apt choice of words. There is no timer or move limit, and there are no penalties. The music is relaxing and minimalistic. The color scheme is in the pastels.
It should be relaxing, yet for me, it wasn’t. While I got the idea behind the usual puzzles, I had trouble figuring out the maze levels. Instead of filling up the whole space, you must arrange the tiles to have the longest possible corridor between the two marked tiles. We have a number going down, which shows how many more tiles we can have in the corridor. For some reason, this type of puzzle was ridiculously difficult for me, and if I could, I would’ve skipped all those levels.
Structure
Overall, Paraido boasts more than 70 levels. You can replay any unlocked level by accessing them in the main menu. The completed ones are green, the skipped ones blue, and the rest are dark. One thing to note is that while saving is automatic, the game doesn’t save your progress in a level. Also, while there is a skip button, you can’t skip all the levels you want.
Some of the levels, especially at the beginning, offer helpful hints. They don’t appear afterwards, so it would’ve been nice to be able to access them altogether, like a tutorial.
The Atmosphere of Paraido
Visually, Paraido is a simple but beautiful game. As mentioned above, the color scheme is in the pastels, clearly distinguishing between placed tiles and empty spots. Color seems to play a big role in the gameplay, not only in terms of aesthetics. The soundtrack is minimalistic and chill. It’s not likely to distract you from the game. The clicking sounds when you place a piece are satisfying. Even the buzzing when you are wrong is a nice detail.
Some Side Notes
Paraido has Steam Achievements but no trading cards as of yet. If you decide to try the game, there is a demo on Steam.
Conclusion
While I have nothing wrong to say about Paraido, there is also nothing groundbreaking about the game. It would’ve been nice to be able to skip any level, not just some. If you need a couple of minutes to unwind or destress and like puzzles, this one might be for you. It requires thinking and is far from mindless clicking to finish a level.
Final Verdict: I’m Not Sure. 