The House of Hikmah

It's rare to find Arabic / Islamic themed narrative based games. House of Hikmah does great at capturing the Islamic architecture in fictional beautiful environments. You solve puzzles as you progress and meet historical scholars, as the protagonist tries to deal with her grief and loss. There is a deep strong message in this game. Which I appreciate most about it. The voice acting is quite good, both in Arabic and English. It's a short 5-6 hours game.

What a beautiful gaming experience. As a Lebanese American, I’m always looking for new ways to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month on my streaming channels, and this was perfect for this year. A story dear to my heart also, as I’m currently dealing with aging parents. The puzzles tickled my brain, and some threw me for a loop that I had to look up video walkthrough help and even post in the discussion board for the first time. My viewers were in awe of the game as well, constantly commenting on how gorgeous the graphics were, Maya’s and the others’ character designs and voice acting, the music, the environments. Even the patterns on the shapes to change their elements; I found myself hypnotized sometimes. Also, shoutout to the art director Micaela Dawn who cheered me on in my chat during the finale of the game. What a cool surprise!! Can’t wait to see what Lunacy Studios cooks up next ☺️

House of Hikmah is a story-forward puzzle platformer set in the Islamic Golden Age. The environments are stunning. Austin Wintory supervised performers of classical Arabic instruments in recording sessions in Saudi Arabia. The story is quite affecting, exploring themes of grief and legacy. And the puzzles are more engaging and fresh than titles like The Pathless or The Last Campfire. I played this the day it released and the movement was a bit janky, especially in the final level. There is full VO in English and Arabic. The character can catch on the edges of platforms. It seemed strange that the characters' mouths don't move when they speak. Some fabrics float oddly in the air. I'm still glad I played this game. These things did not significantly detract from my enjoyment of the world and the story of House of Hikmah.

An enjoyable experience overall. Gameplay consists of puzzles and light platforming with a steady stream of new mechanics to keep things interesting. Minimal handholding, though most solutions are straightforward. Movement can be fiddly sometimes, especially late game. The levels are colorful and varied. The narrative manages to bring up serious themes without being overbearing. Runs well on Linux.

Loved the game design. It never feels like a gimmick because the environments are built around it, and the environments are stunning. The entire game is rendered with care, each world completely different, and you spend as much time just looking around as you do solving anything. Rare to find a game where the mechanic and the setting are this fused.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 10/10!

Sometimes the best way to describe a piece of media is to say that it's good for your soul. This game is good for one's soul in a very honest, candid way. There is no violence, no swearing, and no cynicism. The puzzles are good, and the platforming sequences are just right. The protagonist - a girl in her early teens - is going through a lot, as teenagers are bound to do, but never becomes annoying or full of herself. The story starts very simple, but gets deeper over time. There is even a level where the heroine essentially undergoes a therapy session, and it's not done with a cutscene, only through platforming and a few simple puzzles in a fantasy setting. No adrenaline rushes here, and that's for the best. Instead of those - a bit of calm and some room for reflection. Obviously your mileage may vary, but I think more games should explore this kind of emotional palette. The narrative is very straightforward, which means you can safely give this game to an early teen kid, or to a friend who's not used to video games. The game's central theme is grieving after a close relative has died, but it's done in a responsible and considerate manner. No trigger warnings are necessary. The so-called production values aren't very high, and the game could use a bit more QA here and there, but that's clearly because the budget was small and not because someone didn't have the skills. Usually games with small budgets tend to be semi-professional or even hobbyist projects, and as a result tend to have all kinds of usability issues. This isn't the case here: the experience is, in fact, quite well polished. I'm tempted to end here and never mention that the game has very clearly defined Arabic roots. In a better world this wouldn't matter any more than the fact that my hair is brown. We don't live in such a world, and games with this particular cultural background are rare on Steam, which is a shame, because it means we're missing out. Hopefully this game can become a bit of an ambassador, especially because it's so accessible.

A bit rough around the edges but its a game with heart. Some ok platforming and not too difficult puzzles. Has a lovely aesthetic and a very unique art style, alongside a short and memorable story about grief. Could do with a bit more polish if I am being honest, some of the textures (especially at higher resolutions) are quite rough. Short, Sweet and doesn't overstay its welcome. 5/10

The House Of Hikmah is a charming puzzle-platformer with a lot going for it. The game features engaging puzzles, a beautiful art direction, and a really pleasant soundtrack. It also takes place in a historical period that is not often explored, which makes the overall experience quite refreshing and interesting. On the downside, the game could benefit from more polish. Some movements feel a bit clunky, and there are a few minor bugs, nothing game-breaking, but noticeable enough to impact the experience. One regret I have is that, given the richness of the setting, it would have been great to include an in-game index or codex. This could provide additional context about the historical era, as well as the characters you encounter throughout the game. Overall, it’s very much my kind of game. With a bit more polish and the addition of extra content like a historical index, it could become an even stronger experience. Considering the price and what it offers, it remains a very solid and enjoyable title.

Finally a game set with Islamic\Arabian themes and environment my fav historical period it is rare in gaming <3

The story didn't really click for me (it's only scratching the surface of grief and most of the characters except yourself are barely fleshed out and don't have a lot of backstory), but I love the beautiful level design, visually interesting characters and the puzzle and platforming aspects. The English voice acting is also quite good. This game really kept my brain going and solving all of the puzzles felt very rewarding. So all in all, it's a short, but good little puzzle game with a cute main character. Recommended. It also runs flawless on Linux and despite running on the Unreal Engine, it didn't stutter at all, so that's another plus in my book. :) And you can pet an owl. 🥰