Viewfinder: One of the best puzzle games you need to play

I was sent Viewfinder as a review code. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will not let it sway my opinions.

Viewfinder is a first-person puzzle game for PC and PS5 where you solve puzzles using pictures to manipulate the world around you. A group of scientists created a virtual world where they worked on solving the world’s problems. It is believed that hidden somewhere in this world is a machine that can solve the negative effects of climate change. You are sent into this world to find this machine and any other secrets that can benefit humanity. What secrets will you uncover within this virtual labyrinth?

I got to play Viewfinder at this year’s GDC and have been excited for its release since. This game is as fun as I remembered and surpassed all of my expectations. If you are in the market for a relaxing and fun puzzle game, Viewfinder 

is your answer. The game has an interesting story, unique mechanics, a fantastic soundtrack, and a beautiful world to explore. This is one of the few games where I went out of my way to collect every bit of story I could from the notes, recordings, and journal entries.

The puzzles in this game are manageable and extremely creative. I had a ton of fun solving the puzzles because of how much flexibility there is for each solution. To solve a puzzle in Viewfinder, you use photos to manipulate the room around you. For example, you can use a picture of a side of a building to make a ramp to get you somewhere high, or you can use the same picture to make a bridge. How you use these pictures and solve the puzzles is up to you. Each puzzle feels open to multiple solutions, and watching the world change as I solved the puzzles was really cool to see. I am blown away by how creative the puzzles and mechanics are. You need to play this game to appreciate how much love and hard work was put into it.

My main complaint with this game is that it felt a little short. I was either having too much fun, or I am really good at puzzles because I felt like I breezed through this game. My other complaint is that some of the filters make pictures harder to see when placing them. The filters are optional, and therefore not a deal breaker.

Viewfinder is a fantastic puzzle game for players who are looking for something with a beautiful atmosphere, a solid story, and innovative mechanics. You can grab your copy of Viewfinder on Steam or PlayStation for $24.99. There is also a demo on Steam if you’d like to try it out first. This is one of the best games I’ve played this year, and I would argue that you will think the same.