Katharsi

Great visuals playing on ultra graphics, accompanied with some endearing narration. Hungry for some honey cake now. Interesting puzzle mechanics with a straightforward story. Need a continuation !

An enjoyable brief puzzle game. A brief introduction to who the protagonist was supposed to be and why they were in the cathedral would have slightly improved the experience.

As a free student project, Katharsi offers a solid and atmospheric puzzle experience, though it's held back by some technical shortcomings, especially on handhelds. The core gameplay of using light to cleanse a corrupted Byzantine cathedral is compelling. The puzzles are satisfying without being overly obtuse, and the mysterious companion adds a nice narrative hook. The atmosphere is thick and the core concept is well-executed. However, playing on a Steam Deck OLED highlighted some issues. The game is not well-optimized; I was forced to use Low settings as anything higher caused performance problems. For a short game (I finished in about 30 minutes), the install size feels disproportionately large. The visual style, while fitting for the theme, comes off as quite grey and could benefit from a more distinct or colorful art direction to enhance the "cleansing" mechanic. The Bottom Line for Steam Deck: It's playable, but only on Low settings, and be prepared for a large download for a brief experience. Considering this is a free game from a student team, it's a commendable effort with enjoyable puzzles at its heart. It's a neat proof-of-concept that, with more optimization and visual polish, could have been truly excellent. Worth a look for puzzle fans who manage their expectations.

good puzzle game, also a relaxing game

7/10

might pop an 8-mili-buddy and nic out to this one!