Cosmic Express

In Cosmic Express, you have to create a path in order to pick up all the aliens, drop them in the correct boxes and then go to the end.
That implies many possible paths and, you probably guessed it, many tries. This game is not a puzzle game which you can close and think about, this is pure trial and error.
“But trial and error is bad” – yes I agree, this type of games can be very frustrating and Cosmic Express is no exception.

So is that just a frustrating chaotic mess? Not at all.
The puzzle design is excellent : the levels are (very) small and crafted to offer a real challenge without ever being unfair.
Speaking of that, you’ll probably solve a lot of them instantly, though. Even puzzles at the end of the game. Sometimes you immediately see the solution, sometimes you struggle for 45min, this game can be very weird.
I also said this was pure trial and error but it’s not braindead trying until a path works, you’re supposed to deduce things while you play of course. This game reminds me a lot of Filament, but fairer.

After completing the game, monoliths will appear in certain levels and you have to beat them again, this time with requirements (certain aliens have to go in certain boxes) and I really liked this idea.
What I didn’t really like was the final level. It took me 2 hours, it has far too many possibilities and nothing can be deduced. That one can be called a frustrating chaotic mess yes, the base level is already a nightmare, so you can imagine how hard the monolith version gets. Fortunately, that’s the only puzzle like that.

I highly recommend this game, but don’t tryhard it. As soon as you get stuck, try the other levels (the game isn’t linear) or take a break.

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Developers: Cosmic Engineers, Alan Hazelden, Benjamin Davis, Tyu
Publisher: Draknek & Friends
Platforms: Steam – Windows/Linux/macOS, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS
Release Date: March 16, 2017