Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Aarik & the Ruined Kingdom to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.

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What is Aarik & the Ruined Kingdom?

Aarik & the Ruined Kingdom is an adorable and creative puzzle adventure game out now on Steam.

The Kingdom is in disrepair, your father is bed ridden, and your mother is missing. Travel to the farthest reaches, through the thickest forests, the coldest tundras, and the strangest castles to put everything back together. Using your the power of your father’s crown, you must move objects and shift perspectives to solve the kingdom’s many puzzles. Do you have what it takes?

Gameplay

Aarik is a puzzle game with a unique mechanic. Every level in this game is out or whack, and it is up to the player to put it back together before they can move to the next one. Using the power of the crown, players will play with the camera perspective to create new paths, move objects, and collect treasure. Players clear a level when they have successfully made it to the level’s endpoint.

Review

Aarik & the Ruined Kingdom is the relaxing and cozy puzzler that needs to be in your library, especially if you enjoy puzzle games. The story is nice, the art is cute, and the puzzles are creative. The game runs smoothly, and each puzzle is both flavorful and unique. What I loved most about the game is having to turn the camera to solve puzzles. Shifting the perspective would create new paths, and using the different available powers made for some interesting and memorable problem solving.

Aarik & the Ruined Kingdom is the cutest puzzle game you’ll play this year with some fun and creative puzzles and solid flavor. It is a little wonky on the Steam Deck, but once you get used to the control scheme, it is not so bad. It isn’t unplayable, it just feels better with a keyboard and mouse.

You can pick up Aarik & the Ruined Kingdom on Steam for only $7.99. There is also a demo available if you don’t believe me.