Starman: Tale of Light doesn’t reveal much about its hero. You seem like an astronaut, and you’re solving puzzles in environments that appear to be a factory, cruise ship, and county fair. Maybe you’re figuring out how to get home?
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. The ambiguity is half the fun. Starman’s monochromatic visuals and haunting (and occasionally hopeful) music never cease pulling you in.
The level design is just as mesmerizing, often pairing the familiar with the impossible. Inside a museum, for instance, you’ll stroll past glass displays and catwalks—until suddenly you’re atop a huge, ramshackle tower that’s straight out of a late-night game of Jenga.
Manipulating the tower’s blocky bits is one of many intriguing puzzles. At first Starman’s challenges focus on light and dark, like charging energy cubes to open doors. Before long, though, you’ll face all sorts of physics-based conundrums—from moving boxes with blasts of air to rolling balls onto a giant gear-shaped switch. They get pretty tricky, but with a little experimentation you’ll find the answers before total despair sets in.
If you do start, make sure you play to the very end. The unexpected turn in the final level is well worth the journey.