Beyond The Wall Review

All Production and No Puzzle?

When a young girl is dropped off at the gate of her friend’s home, and no one comes to let her in, a child’s worst fears begin to appear around every corner. By no means is Beyond the Wall, developed by Rocking Toy, a frightening game, but there are eerie elements nonetheless. Normally innocent objects and critters become contorted obstacles, stopping you from reaching your friend’s home. But how much of this puzzle game’s creative visuals are just that or a thought-provoking challenge?

Simple Art Simple Plot

From the title screen, I was intrigued by both the cozy yet sinister artwork—reminding me briefly of Don’t Starve—and the moody yet candid music. A child’s hand-drawn sequence opens the game before fading into the first challenge of getting beyond the wall and to her friend’s house to play.

As far as gameplay goes, this is your standard point-and-click puzzle adventure. The animations in Beyond the Wall make sense and are very interactive, with most of the puzzles being less abstract and more literal. If you are stuck the game will offer two types of hints. The first being a hand-drawn explanation, that just vague enough to not feel like a guide and the second a slight nudge pointing in the right direction.

Getting More with Less Help

The game is by no means hard, nor are there any sort of stakes. Beyond the Wall a play-at-your-own pace, which seems to be done with intention because rushing will offer a short experience. With ten “levels” this game is not long by any means, and is hard to justify the $2.99 price tag. Building to the final levels, you will have explored all the mechanics, using them in the final challenges. There is a feeling of progression and mastery as you get close to the end. However, between those stages, the game is shorter than most.

Even though Beyond the Wall is a standard point-and-click puzzle adventure, the design choice in environmental art styles and puzzle design made it an enjoyable experience. Along the way, the story and the challenges made sense and felt thematically consistent from our characters point of view. Without hints, Beyond the Wall may take longer, but it is a short game nonetheless. Because of the price tag compared to the title’s overall length and replayability, it will likely turn  people off. The ending sequence, wrapping up the story led to a cathartic ending  perhaps justifying the length and this design decision.

A Short, Clever Experience

From start to finish, the puzzles were cleverly done, being visually engaging and offering just enough of a challenge to not seem simple or bland. The perspective, tone and concluding theme made this game an enjoyable experience, though it did leave me wanting for more. As far as puzzles go, they were relatively low-stakes and enjoyable from a casual perspective. Exploring each area was a treat and when you finally figured out what each item does and how to complete the challenges, there was definitely a feeling of accomplishment. Was it short? Yes. Should this game have been priced this high? Maybe. Maybe not. But was it clever, fun and enjoyable to play? Yes.