Push Blox

[b]push blox[/b] is a minimalist block-pushing puzzler from 2018 that somehow took 4 years to travel from itch to steam, with no actual steam features. I don't care about them, but looking at the delay and the fact that the [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/894430/]sequel[/url]'s been here since 2020, it's weird. anyway, it's sokoban(ish), so not the 1 out of 10 among puzzle games that isn't. you might think it's top-down, at least that's what I figured, but it's from the side and [b]gravity applies to certain blocks but not you[/b], every white tile is available for movement, unless blocked. no move counter, limit or rating system, but [b]some timing is involved[/b]. the game points out that it only goes as far as pushing blocks in mid-air, but it's not true. level 4-4 (the orchard) and h-1 (metronome) have a bunch of it. [b]34 levels[/b] in 4 worlds, but there's branching progression with multiple levels unlocking occasionally and the final 4 stages are considered a bonus. the goal is to stick all the red and blue tiles together, like in those jelly-based games, for instance. they cling to each other wherever they touch, even on the sides while falling, and disappear if all their own tiles are together. multiple blocks can be pushed, there are locks to open, conveyor belts, deadly lasers and mirrors, even a few secrets. it's not an 'explain every new mechanic' kinda game, instead [b]it teaches through clever level design (and level names) and by letting you experiment without repercussions, like every puzzler should[/b]. that said, as a bad student I got stuck so early on it wasn't even funny. though as the tagline says, no fillers here, which is something to appreciate, but it also means difficulty ramps up relatively fast. I looked up some hints here and there but still managed a lot more on my own than expected (the bonus levels were too much). [b]the non-rebindable keyboard controls work well.[/b] wasd or arrows to move, space to 'run' (didn't expect that), backspace or 'u' or 'z' is undo, 'r' is restart. dragging with either mouse button also works, as uncomfortable as it is. too bad right click or the mouse wheel doesn't act as undo and there are no icons to click, but at least the mouse can be used in the menus. and the cursor never disappears, which is always annoying. it's worth nothing that [b]undo works after a fail state and restart too[/b], so resetting doesn't erase all previous progress (or non-progress). and it's for keypresses, so if you hold movement for 10 tiles, a single undo will take back all 10. settings consist of separate volumes for the acoustic guitar soundtrack and the barely noticeable effects. luckily, there isn't one for movement, that'd get annoying fast (as did the music, as much as I love guitars). graphics are functional, each level is introduced with its number and title, no on-screen mention of them after, but they're shown in the pause menu. since every level is in a smaller window within the screen, they could've been a permanent fixture. a considerably smaller, non-resizable windowed mode got patched in, 'f' toggles it. while very simple on the surface, [b]it works as it should[/b] (reported crashes got fixed) and [b]features mostly excellent and challenging puzzles[/b]. unfortunately, it's worth noting that the mobile version costs the same, as it should, yet it's rarely the case, and this one doesn't have a single instance of tap or battery saver or other nonsense left in. [b]there's a demo on the game's itch page[/b], not sure why it's not on steam. for such a low price [b]it's a no-brainer anyway if you like sticking things together[/b].