Game: Steampunk Jigsaw Puzzles
Genre: Puzzles, Casual
System: Steam (Windows)
Developer|Publisher: Dr. Cyril Splutterworth
Controller Support: Yes
Price: Free
Release Date: September 14th, 2023
Review code used with many thanks to Dr. Cyril Splutterworth.
Steampunk Jigsaw Puzzles is, as the title suggests, a jigsaw puzzle game developed and released by Dr. Cyril Splutterworth for free in 2023.
Premise
As Wikipedia tells us, Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery.
Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or the American “Wild West”, where steam power remains in mainstream use or in a fantasy world that similarly employs steam power. And in that vein, all the images in Steampunk Jigsaw Puzzles are in classic steampunk style.
Gameplay
The base version of the game is free and consists of 24 steampunk images. The developer has released six paid DLCs: The Wild West, Airships & Aviators, Samurai Clans, Arctic Realms, The Great Battle, and Ancient Empires, each in steampunk style.
The gameplay is a classical jigsaw puzzle; we have a board on which we solve puzzles. We can choose the shape and style of the puzzle pieces and their number from 20 to 700. The background can also be customized; we have 12 wood and other materials options.
While solving the puzzle, we can have the corner and/or side pieces be automatically placed. We can also view the end picture at any time. I was not fond that all the pieces were placed randomly on the board, and some might be under the preview of the image. You need to put them on the side manually. We also can restart the puzzle or reshuffle the puzzle pieces. We also have zoom-in and out buttons.
Steampunk Jigsaw Puzzles also allow us to solve sliding puzzles instead of jigsaw. It is a fun addition and something that is generally rare to see on its own and not as a part of another game. If you choose the sliding puzzle option, you can also choose how many sliding pieces you have on the board, from 4 to 49.
Art Style
I might be biased, but I loved the images. The artwork is simply gorgeous. I would love to have the option to use it as a wallpaper. There is also a nice variety of images, mechanical animals, famous London sights, vehicles, and characters. And that’s just in the base game.
The soundtrack is unobtrusive and somewhat forgettable piano instrumentals. It’s nothing to write home about, but the game lets you turn off the music and play something from your collection.
Steampunk Jigsaw Puzzles has Steam achievements, which are relatively easy to unlock.
Conclusion
While Steampunk Jigsaw Puzzles is not a groundbreaking gaming experience, it still offers a few hours of relaxing puzzle solving, with beautiful pictures and enough customization options to please everyone, from a player wanting to relax to someone looking for a challenge. And all that for free!
Final Verdict: I Like it. 