Aethernaut

Aethernaut is a puzzle game created by a single indie developer based out of Montreal, Canada. The game is a mix of old and new concepts, mixing standard puzzle games with the concept of light as a puzzle to make it more original. The game has a cyberpunk feel to it, with everything looking worn and old. As you navigate each person, you are guided by a Doctor named Louis Cornell who explains to you how the construct you’re activating came to be.

The more you repair the construct however, the more things change. You start to hear voices in your head, suggesting a different storyline from what you have heard from Dr. Louis Cornell, and asking for help. You decide what to do, and your decisions will control the fate of the world around you.

Puzzles that Challenge

The developer spent a great deal of time on the puzzles. His goal was to make it so that if you knew how to solve the puzzle right away, you could do so easily and not have to spend a ton of time on it. Rather than steadily add new pieces to each puzzle to make it harder, the game also uses only 3 pieces that need to be used in different ways to solve each puzzle. There are over 100 puzzle rooms in the game, each using the same three light cubes to solve puzzles in different ways.

Reasonable graphics

When the developer first created the game, he thought he might go with a minimalistic look. It quickly became obvious however, that minimalist looked cheap. He learned how to create his own models in Blender to make a game with fairly good graphics. While they aren’t the incredible detail of some of the other games out there, the graphics are clean and attractive, and do a decent job of adding mood to the story.

Open world

The game was inspired by several other puzzle games, among them Talos Principle. The developer wanted to create a game that allowed you freedom of movement, and freedom to think things through in your own way. Aethernaut features many of the same general ideas, including the ability to freely explore the world in a non-linear way. How you complete the puzzles, and in what order, also determine the ending of the game. There are several possible endings, and which one you get all depends on you.

Aethernaut has a lot to offer puzzle lovers. The game offers an open world that lets you explore and try challenges in a specific order, as well as choices with very real consequences. The rich storyline and thoughtful challenges go a long way to drawing you into the game.

Pros:

• Unique light puzzles
• Non-linear gaming
• Interesting storyline
• Simple controls

Cons:

• Graphics could be improved