[b]8/10[/b]
A Sokoban plus Supaplex adventure for two!
[b]What is it:[/b] A box-pushing, boulder dodging game in which you control two players. Gemima (pink) and Jules (blue) are trapped in a dungeon, and they must keep on exploring, going from room to room, until they can reach the top and go back outside. Each room has colored gems, sand, boxes, boulders, and one or more doors. Opening the doors requires collecting all the gems. The two players and the boxes behave like a classic top-down sokoban, without gravity. The gems and the boulders behave like in Supaplex, rolling down and smashing any unfortunate character that happens to be underneath. The gems are color-coded, with only one of the two characters able to pick them up, but so are some of the doors, crates, boulders, switches and sand. Not only must you solve each level, but you must constantly juggle the positions of the two characters, making sure you leave enough room for them to swap places.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3480683856
The game is very inventive, staying fresh with new gimmicks and level types. Starting with simple rock and box pushing, it goes as far as having a level with multiple instances of each character that can also swap colors. Along the way there are some unique levels, like a maze in the dark, or a huge level that you can only see a little at a time. There are levels you need to solve multiple ways, and secrets, and many popular game references. I even heard a rumor that there might be cake! Some levels have unique shapes, including a giant Baba.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3480682881
You can play this with two hands, or you can invite a friend for a couch co-op. But you have to coordinate really well, since quite often you need to quickly switch places under a boulder, or move in sync, or swap characters. If you play alone or with a friend, there are even more challenges after the regular, “relaxed” version. There's a mode with a total time limit and one with per-level tight time limits. There’s a mode without undo, and a mode with permadeath. And for the ultimate challenge, a permadeath, no undo, time limit mode.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3480682093
Overall, I really enjoyed Gemima and all its levels. It’s fun, challenging, and fresh.
[b]How hard is it:[/b] Moderate, ★★★☆☆. Finishing the ultimate difficulty mode is a real challenge.
[b]How long is it:[/b] 30 areas, but each with multiple levels. 4-8 hours to finish the game once, but the challenge modes will add a lot of time retrying all levels. All levels are mandatory, but often there are multiple paths you can choose in case you get stuck in one room and want to come back to it later.
[b]Level design:[/b] Great! Very varied levels, unique solutions.
[b]Quality:[/b] Good overall, but lacking settings. Multiple control schemes. Undo (unless you’re playing one of the no-undo challenge modes), but you can’t undo each move, instead collecting a gem creates a new checkpoint. Multiple save slots. Map-like [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3480680900]level select[/url], though each “room” can contain several puzzles in a row you can't select individually. Good controls, but not configurable. Only [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3480684017]audio settings[/url]. Has a “slow mode” for those that find the quick moves needed in some levels too challenging. Cloud saving, progress and challenge achievements. Small, fast and responsive.
[b]Worth the price:[/b] Yes!
[b]Most positive aspect for me:[/b] Great variety of levels.
[b]Most negative aspect for me:[/b] Some level time limits in the “muscle memory” mode are very tight, living up to the “muscle memory” name.
[b]What would make it better:[/b] Custom level editor and workshop support. Finer grained undo. Configurable controls. Colorblindness accessibility. More settings, at least a fullscreen toggle. Hints.
[b]Also consider:[/b]
[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/3414480/Double_Trip/?curator_clanid=25928931]Double Trip[/url], Sokoban for two, small but nice.
[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/3242870/Pushmania/?curator_clanid=25928931]Pushmania[/url], Sokoban for two, much bigger and harder.
[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/833140/Supaplex/?curator_clanid=25928931]Supaplex[/url], boulder dashing, gem collecting game.
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