Oquonie Review

Oquonie is a beautifully designed adventure puzzler that’s both challenging and mystifying. Since there really isn’t much of a storyline and no instructions whatsoever, players are left to fend for themselves. The goal is to navigate quirky creatures through grid-based worlds by solving perplexing riddles and decoding odd symbols along the way.

When the game starts, players must start exploring everything around them. This is frustrating at first since there are no explanations. Once players get the character to move by tapping on the map, they will start going in and out of doors and exploring nearby objects. They'll eventually find themselves interacting with creatures who only speak in symbols, which makes things even more confusing.

The spoilers start here. Players must find three matching symbols that are given by the other creatures throughout the bizarre world. These symbols transform the main character and allow players to open doors to new areas. There are a few hints scattered throughout the game, like owls that help by giving picture clues, but don’t expect a lot of help. One hint that I will give is that there are teleporters, and they take players to different areas once certain symbol tiles are collected. The frustration begins when they try to find their way back to certain creatures. I found myself going back to the same areas often while trying to go somewhere else. It was annoying to go back to these areas after forgetting to collect a tile, and then not being able to find a way back.

Oquonie obviously isn’t for everyone. While the amazing black-and-white sketched graphics make the game worth checking out, the gameplay itself is hit or miss. Some players will find it too irritating to complete, while others will enjoy all that the game has to offer. There’s a lot of trial and error involved, but the mystery that surrounds the game makes it hard to resist playing. Anyone who loves a challenging adventure puzzler will certainly enjoy what Oquonie has to offer.