GAME OF THE DAY
Serenity in Motion
Kenshō
Open the door to a new world
The name Kenshō is derived from two Japanese words: ken (seeing) and shō (nature). According to developer Fiftytwo’s cofounder Mikhail Shagin, this refers to the puzzler’s story line, which unfolds inside a mysterious room filled with doors that open to sweeping landscapes.
Beautiful hardly describes the experience. Lighting, shadows, and hundreds of glowing particles illuminate backdrops that come to life with swaying trees and scrolling parallax effects. Everything moves with silky-smooth animation.
“It takes a long time, but this is our way to look special among other games,” says Shagin.
It’s easy to lose yourself in Kenshō’s immersive stages, but the puzzles themselves are the real draw.
“We wanted to make an iOS game that could be played with just one hand. Easy to learn, but fresh and fascinating. A combination of color matching with some new, graceful puzzle mechanics.”
To play, you manipulate a five-by-five grid and try to match at least three colors to clear tiles away. But the familiar concept has a twist: Instead of moving specific tiles, you move everything on the board. As you advance, you'll come across more complications, like tiles that can only be cleared from one side.
This slower-paced, almost meditative experience can be challenging at times. But it’s always fun, rewarding, and downright gorgeous.