[h1]In Search of Lost Memories[/h1]
[h2]Maze of Remembrance[/h2]
Umiro is a challenging puzzle game featuring two friends, Huey and Satura, who are lost in the colorless world of Umiro, searching for their memories. By collecting colorful crystals, which also restore the world’s real colors, they will be able to piece together their memories—understanding why they are there and, more importantly, who they are.
With an isometric camera and minimalist geometric shapes (in both visual and sound design), you will need to precisely and strategically trace the characters' paths with the mouse. The levels are full of traps and dangers for the two protagonists. Sometimes you'll have to be clever, make them go in circles, restart, or backtrack... and most importantly, wait for the right moment to move—one mistake, and you'll have to start over.
In terms of game design, the core of the puzzle mechanics is fairly classic, but it’s well executed, with a difficulty curve that is finely balanced—challenging without being frustrating or boring. The innovation mainly comes from the need to coordinate the two characters, whose paths are independent yet interconnected at the same time—requiring agility, reflection, and anticipation. The gameplay is interspersed with cutscenes across 4 chapters, each with 10 levels, plus 4 bonus levels, offering 4 to 5 hours of enjoyable gameplay.
[h2]Memory, a Story of Creation[/h2]
The core gameplay and its level design seem to align with the game's message: recovering memory and remembering is a difficult process. It requires patience, deep thought, and sometimes, the ability to create your own path and story to piece ideas and fragments back together. It's particularly interesting to observe the contrast between a very structured environment and the imperfect, non-linear paths you trace—almost as if you’re recreating your own story. It’s also worth noting that Huey and Satura’s paths are different, showing that, in a team effort, each person has their own perception, memory, and ultimately, their own story.
Umiro also impresses by drawing comparisons to [i]Monument Valley[/i], as if it were its successor: with its aesthetic sobriety, visual minimalism, geometric design, perspective, interface, game concept, and narrative style. It evokes a sense of nostalgia for those first magical gaming experiences.
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[h3]In brief[/h3]
[i]Note: Played on macOS (not mobile)[/i]
[u]Pros:[/u]
[list]
[*] Well-balanced game design, mechanics that are neither too easy nor too difficult
[*] Original path-drawing mechanic and the management of two characters
[*] Strong narrative thread, simple but well-executed and structured, neither too absent nor too overwhelming
[*] Affordable price, offering great value for a very enjoyable experience
[*] Clean artistic direction, minimalistic and coherent ambient sound design, almost “relaxing,” with good map and information readability
[*] Strong coherence between concept, core mechanics, and the game’s intent of memory recovery, well executed and designed
[/list]
[u]Cons:[/u]
[*] Perhaps too short, given a concept that has the potential to be (almost) limitless
[*] Improvement needed in mouse tracing mechanics (hitboxes are well designed, but it’s not always easy to trace with the mouse, leading to frequent collisions in narrow passages—though the responsiveness of the tracing is good)
[*] Cutscene backgrounds are too “brown” (subjective opinion), creating a contrast that feels too “disconnected” from the overall artistic direction
