8-Bit Hack: DESOLUS IS SMART. I AM DUMB.
- Desmond Childs
- May 24
- 2 min read
Words: Desmond Childs //Writer/Blogger//Producer Dude
Ty Taylor, a distinguished gentleman, is also an OG game developer, low/high key. You can also argue he's fostered the growth of an incredibly popular subgenre within indie gaming--cozy games. Okay, so we all pay bills one way or another and life also makes us pay--in other ways. We're tired when we get home, from, you know, paying--enter cozy games. So, I've seen these sorts of games span a variety of genres in gaming. Farm sims, puzzle games, adventure games, etc.--what's always the same is the vibe. These games are not going to hurt you, they are here to help, fam. Let them in. There you go, bro-bro. Open your heart, for goodness' sake.
I wasn't very good during my 10–15-minute demo of DESOLOUS, because generally I am not. That fact aside, it's a visually captivating while conceptually prodding gamers to take a different kind of challenge. I got the opportunity to speak with Ty Taylor before, during, and after trying out the demo, and in addition to being very patient with my impatient--bull-in-china shop style of gaming; he mentioned the architecture of DESOLUS. Gliding my way through the beautifully rendered environment (I call it nature encased in magic filter), the striking, jagged tops and sudden drops of collapsed castles and bridges stands out.
The demo was primarily about me grabbing portals out of a darker dimension and bringing them into my home dimension to fix damaged structures--rebuilding my city. I don't know how Doctor Strange pulls this sort of thing off, but I couldn't help but twist myself into circles or back into corners--my eyes crossing with the jumping back and forth between realms. You truly have to slow down and observe the game's indicators in order to access the right portal to fix the right structure at the right time. Which means you can only fix a problem partially if you do not progress through the puzzle in the correct order. There was an instance where I thought I had figure it out in one realm only to jump over to the other and see how I skipped/missed a step in righting the proverbial ship.
It's a series of puzzles that deserves peace, quiet, and your favorite hot drink--while your eyes gradually cross. But seriously, the slower I went, the more I began to notice about the subtle and not-so-subtle ways the environment shifted around me each time I jumped from one realm into the other. Rushing should not be encouraged in this realm of cozy, thought prodding (tad softer than provoking) games. Remember, these games are here to help you--whether that's helping you relax after a long day at work; or challenge you to fire up your brain and do some thinking in your games. DESOLUS is here to help, but it is not going to baby you--so pick your feet up. This game is not out yet, so keep an eye on STEAM and add it to your Wishlist.
DESOLUS on Steam (Add to your wishlist)
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