Aarik and the Ruined Kingdom is a beautiful-looking perspective puzzler that was released not too long ago. Our reviewer, Jack, enjoyed her time with it, praising the various brainteasers it throws players’ way. But do our readers agree? We handed the game over to our App Army to find out.
Here’s what they said:
Jojó Reis
AARIK is a very fun puzzle game, although it is super simple to play it generates a lot of challenges, it starts with some super simple ones and increases in difficulty as you go along, all you have to do is take your character to a point where it is the exit, but for that, you need to move the scene around you, everything works very well with colourful graphics and touch controls, the game is also super relaxing and perfect to play in a bank line or in places where you need to wait for something.
Mike Lisagor
I’m having a lot of fun with Aarik. Once you get through the brief story you are faced with a somewhat familiar puzzle game. Fans of Monument Valley will be right at home. You can rotate the screen left or right to change perspectives and doing so, may connect the path where you want to go. There is a hidden crown to find too for completionists.
I went back to some levels after realizing that I missed it. The puzzles are not terribly difficult, but I have encountered a few head-scratchers, not realizing there was an object on the screen I could interact with. I’m about halfway through the game and am looking forward to completing it. I definitely recommend the game for anyone looking for a somewhat relaxing, no time-limits, adventure. Thumbs up.
Torbjörn Kämblad
Aarik is a puzzler taking a lot of cues from the Monument Valley series. Get Aarik to the end of each level by rotating the screen. New elements and mechanics are introduced making the puzzles more complex. Still always a tranquil relaxing pace. The presentation is polished, and the story is told in a non-obtrusive way.
The only thing that bothered me was the unclear autosave function. Opening the game I often found myself having to replay levels even though I had ventured past story highlights previously. A game highly recommended to fans of casual perspective puzzlers in the vein of Monument Valley.
Diane Close
If you’ve played any of the Monument Valley games, you know what to do. Aarik and the Ruined Kingdom is a colourful perception puzzle with some hidden objects, a few mini-bosses to disrupt/ally, and a final boss to beat.
A glitch when installing gave me access to the demo only at first, but once finally unlocked I was pleasantly surprised to see the game allowed me to continue my level progress rather than starting over from the beginning.
You interact with the geometry by using a row of diamonds along the bottom of the screen to turn things. On my Pixel 4a5g and 6a phones this area was prone to some pixel hunting so failed sometimes when it shouldn’t. Human error/habit also had me trying to swipe the screen in general instead of that small specific line of gems, oops! Crowns hidden within the levels could be pixel-specific too. Some were unable to be clicked on at all until the level was restarted and played again.
Overall this is a short, fun, relaxed game with a light narrative. Lovely graphics, great sound, good music. I recommend it to casual players despite occasional technical issues. No hint system but the developer provides a full walkthrough online.
Jc Ga
This is a cute enjoyable puzzle game with pretty colors and relaxing music. The storyline is a plus, the gameplay is problem-free and even the smallness of the path on which to click is compensated by a zoom system. The idea of the levels becoming more complex is well done, allowing both to maintain the variety of quick levels and the feeling of progress while being guided by the new mechanics. I easily recommend the game to all players who like to manipulate impossible architectures.
Mark Abukoff
Obviously modelled on Monument Valley, Aarik and the Ruined Kingdom does a very good job of taking the concept and making the character a young man adventurer. The puzzles are challenging but not too difficult. The scenery looks great, and I never really had trouble with the controls. I enjoyed a few twists as far as puzzle mechanics that (if I’m remembering correctly) I didn’t see in Monument Valley, as well as the ability to zoom in closely. This is a good-looking, fun adventure puzzle that I can happily recommend.
Oksana Ryan
I found this game really entertaining. It is a great mind-bending game, with surroundings that have to be manipulated, towers to move and counterweights to use towards your goal. The graphics are very good and remind me of Monument Valley, the gameplay is easy to pick up with a solid storyline to follow as you progress. It has a zen vibe where you feel you can take your time and enjoy the whole experience. I think this game has everything going for it if you enjoy a challenge in a relaxed format.
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