Enter an elaborate, one-of-a-kind puzzle paradise in Viewfinder.
Since the dawn of time, humankind has been enthralled with puzzle games and picking their brains with a virtually infinite amount of riddles. In the universe of video games, a thriving community of puzzle enthusiasts also spurred as soon as they were created, from fans wishing to flex their mental muscles to hardcore puzzle masters always on the lookout for their next Everest to conquer. Viewfinder, a new narrative puzzle platformer, falls right just in the middle of that.
Developed by Sad Owl Studios and published by Thunderful Games, Viewfinder’s first-person perspective prides itself in constantly asking the player to question their puzzle-solving skills while at the same time patting them on the back thanks to its wonderfully structured gameplay mechanics. It must be said that a great puzzler to deliver on all fronts should include an intriguing underlying story and Viewfinder excels in that department as well asking groundbreaking questions about art, science, and philosophy in the process.
The game begins with the player controlling an unnamed character popping up in what can only be described as Brutalist structures and commanded by an omnipresent friendly voice in the background by the name of Jessie to move forward. As you get your bearings and try to progress, one of the first fundamental gameplay elements reveals itself as you fall through a bridge. In this yet-to-be-revealed world, you can rewind at your leisure if you get stuck in any sort of dilemma.
Not long after and without giving too much away, it is casually mentioned by Jessie that you are inside a simulation created by scientists long gone trying to find a “Weather Disrupter ” that will change the climate and make their world livable again. Curiously enough as you try to smartly solve the puzzles in this peaceful space with soothing music, a sense of urgency sets in once that revelation is given.
Just as a moment of dread tries to settle in, you arrive at a hub world and meet a charming digital cat called Cait with a reassuring voice that guides you throughout your adventure. With every level solved, the mystery of who created this simulation, what they were like, and what their ultimate goal is slowly lifted. Artists, scientists, and pioneers cooped up in this virtual space to work in peace to save the world through trial and error.
Each of the five stages in Viewfinder, with their respective levels, introduces a new gameplay mechanic that keeps the adventure fresh to the end. You promptly realize that the simulation is an artist’s paradise, constantly throwing at you tools and methods to cleverly find your way and finish every level at your own pace. Fostering your creativity in unique ways to nudge you into thinking of any solution is one of Viewfinder’s strongest suits.
The brain-twisting puzzles, all so astutely presented, trigger subtle musical cues when you solve them, inspiring you to go even further as you progress. The puzzles ramp up the difficulty by utilizing sounds, verticality, outside-the-box thinking, picture frames, and optical illusions to keep you aware at all moments. Optional harder levels with no hints are also on offer for those craving that elusive Eureka moment.
The way to go solving each puzzle is fundamentally up to the player once you get the camera, as most are structured straightforwardly. Once you realize you can manipulate the environment to your liking and that there is no one solution to the puzzles, the sky’s the limit. Genuine moments of excitement, as all puzzles feel natural, abound, and in case the player gets stuck, a slight comment by Cait or hint in the main menu arrives at the most opportune of times.
Replayability is an important factor of Viewfinder as hidden collectibles in each chapter are present. Trophies are quite attainable and even fun to pursue as they request the player to do absurd actions like throwing useful items off the map, breaking the level, or petting the cat. Accessibility features from the get-go include a photosensitivity mode, removing the timed element from countdown levels, and font size, among others. For an intermediate puzzle solver, Viewfinder could take as short as 4 or as long as 8 hours, with optional challenges, collectibles, and every bit of lore and knowledge as part of it.
Scattered texts and voice notes throughout the simulation show how rigorous, strenuous, and rewarding the scientific process can be. The dialogues among the scientists urgently trying to come up with a solution at times hit dangerously close to home, as the climate change issue faced in the Viewfinder is pretty close to real-world problems. Nevertheless, the game always finds light amidst the darkness, with clever jokes, inner musings, and witty remarks to lighten up the mood in this artistic paradise.
The Brutalism architecture and Impressionist style of painting portrayed in Viewfinder are noteworthy. Brutalism was a somber architectural style usually reserved for functional structures and governmental buildings, most notably in Soviet Russia. What is remarkable about this style is that naturally, it was impossible to find something painted on those gray, dull walls, and yet, in Viewfinder they are decorated with beautiful impressionist-inspired paintings of flowers.
The Impressionism art style movement strongly correlated with the discovery of photography in Paris in the 19th century as painters were breathless by the discovery of being able to capture a real-life snapshot of mundane activities emboldened artists such as Claude Monet to do the same but entwined with an unmistakable artistic expression. Both of these impressive concepts merge to thoughtfully convey what the philosophical arguments of Viewfinder try to establish. Nature and humanity must coexist to survive, not one dying for the sake of the other.
An ode to the creative spark is a direct correlation to all that is precious in our lives. Architecture, philosophy, and art are just as valuable as the nature that surrounds us, and Viewfinder urges us to look at things from a different perspective and challenge our worldview if it does not fit the puzzle presented. Adapting and astute minds will flourish and appreciate the test that Viewfinder proposes in more ways than one.
