Havsala: Into the Soul Palace, a review of a philosophical puzzle game

Among the thousands of variations video games can take, there’s also room for less ambitious adventures than the triple A’s that we’re hungry for every day for news and attention. In this sea of ​​boundless hopes, followers, and bets, there are little experiences that manage to emerge enough to communicate beyond their own little audience. In this context, a little adventure of Turkish origin called Havsala: Ruh Sarayna approached the launch with an unpretentious, almost whisper, and appeal that could evoke a play of research between history, philosophy and the occult, but it was portrayed in a truly pictorial manner. no.

we will talk about it Havsala review: To the Spirit Palace.

A timeless and spaceless room

Havsala: Into the Soul Palace is a philosophical experience, even before it was an investigative puzzle game. The game of the Turkish independent team Strategy games It has chosen a powerful narrative formula with simple point and click mechanics, rich in texts and images from the history of scientific and esoteric philosophy. It is a centuries-long journey of critical thinking involved in solving a series of visual, mechanical and conceptual puzzles that serve to unravel the mysteries behind the characters’ lives.

It all takes place inside a room cut off from time and space, where the player is called upon to trace the lives of these men who lived in some historical moment of fermentation of thought. The points of view are explored in the pages of a diary where they tell each other and leave in this room, with all the elements that allow the player to pull off the rest. indeed Turkish word pelvisit can be translated both as a basin and as “understanding with the mind” and therefore must be interpreted for the reading of the title.

this puzzle style It’s very diverse, and although it’s all set in one room, you don’t have the impression that you’re dealing with a limited game. In general, the puzzles are not difficult to continue once you understand the key to the solution, but there is a way to ask for a recommendation if you get stuck. Taking into account all the steps completed so far, the adventure log will also write the next step in red, essentially describing some of the actions required to solve it.

Therefore, the challenge rate is low, but not insignificant and shows Havsala d’ target.for fun, involving the player and deftly mocking rather than really embarrassing him or hindering him at some stage of the experience. Talking about the maximum caliber of ancient and modern philosophy, the offer of witty content is accompanied by a persuasive atmosphere framing a well-done game picture, albeit modest.

A respectable artistic package

L’artistic devotion by Havsala: Into the Soul Palace is functional and fit for purpose, suitable for all production. From a illustrations perspective, it’s a single room and well represented in 2D, with a handful of views and zooms devoted to the individual elements of the scene. The quality of work demonstrates the smallness of the team in a negative sense, but also because of the economic limitations of the project to contextualize the assessments.

work with is definitely more enthusiastic movie soundtrackIt consists of 11 pieces that complement Havsala’s sensory package well and are perfect for immersing even more in the atmosphere of the game while contemplating various puzzles.

A comprehensive yet informed offer

The adventure recommended by Stratera Games guys is very short, can be finished in two hours. It could be three or a little more if you decide to deepen every cultural incentive that Havsala suggests: to the Spirit Palace. The duration is absolutely justified by the good work done and the discounted price of just €9.99.

The only real downside is replayability factorDespite the one-dimensional nature of a truly limited, but investigative puzzle game, it doesn’t even attempt to offer a secondary challenge or a second interpretation of the puzzles to justify a possible return to the palace of spirits after the credits. So the advice is to face the first game that takes all the necessary time and let yourself be guided by Havsala: Into the Soul Palace.