Game: Pixel of Memory
Genre: Puzzle, Arcade, Casual
System: Steam (Windows)
Developer | Publisher: Hiker Games
Controller Support: No
Price: US $ 2.99 | UK £ 2.49 | EU € 2,99
Release Date: October 24th, 2023
Review code used with many thanks to Hiker Games.
The premise of Pixel of Memory is this: “Confused and disoriented, a person with the ID “404” wakes up in an old treehouse that shouldn’t exist anymore. Only two things are left in his cloudy mind: a desire to paint and a mysterious attachment to this place with every trivial object in it.”
Not much to go by, but you’ll catch on to what is expected of you soon after the game starts. Your character has lost their memory and goes around various surroundings, unlocking items with the puzzle mechanics. Items that have meaning for them and will help them to regain their memory. I’ve seen the game compared to Picross games, but I don’t feel it’s the same at all. Let me explain.
Pushing Blocks in Place
As soon as you walk up to an item that’s depicted with a black outline and a ?, a pixel image is presented to you. Little blocks present a black outline, with a couple of blocks missing. You have the blocks at your disposal, and you have to shoot them to their place or retract them. A little miniature version of the character moves along the sides of the square, delivering the block. A nice touch!
The problem is that the blocks you shoot can only be stopped by other blocks or the borders of your square. So though the first puzzles are simple, pretty soon you will be challenged. You have to work your way to the solution by placing temporary blocks, shooting a block in place, trying to retract the others and so on. And yes, it’s as complicated as it sounds. At the same time though, very satisfying once you have found the solution!
Pick-up-and-Play
The first environment to solve puzzles in is the little cottage you wake up at. After solving the puzzles there, a warp hole appears, bringing you to a new environment, in this case, the outside of the cabin. New puzzles await, maybe leading to new pieces of your memory.
This is a pick-up-and-play game while enjoying a cup of coffee. Not that it’s easy, mind you. Of course, some people might breeze through, but there are several levels that I was seriously stuck on. It can be a fine line between getting annoyed with it and elation once it’s solved. There isn’t a hint system, and you can’t progress unless you solve the puzzle at hand. I think that is a missed chance.
Controls, Sounds and Graphics
When you are inside a puzzle, there is no background sound, just the clicking of the blocks. Outside of the puzzles, in the cottage, the garden and so on, a thoughtful little melody is in the background. Not intrusive and very fitting to the game.
The graphics are in retro pixels, which is fitting to the title. It’s not exactly my preferred style of graphics, but it works well in this case. I played Pixel of Memory on the SteamDeck, and it worked fine. Which is great, as it’s a game that lends itself perfectly to handheld gaming.
Conclusion for Pixel of Memory
Pixel of Memory is a nice little puzzler with nice, challenging puzzles. A hint system would be very welcome, though, as you can’t progress without solving every pixel object. It works well on the SteamDeck, making it a great coffee game!
Final Verdict: I Like It 