Samorost 3+ welcomes you with intriguing billowy music. (You are also greeted by a tiny weenie dog, so the game was off to a good start for me.) You then proceed to explore the planet as a small gnome in larger-than-life magical lands. And with that, your fantastical journey through Samorost 3+ begins.
This point and click adventure game from developer Amanita Design looks like many other indie games that came out in the 2010’s, but this one is powered by puzzles rather than platforming. If your interest is peaked, the world of Samorost 3+ is available to explore on iPhones and iPads for $5.99, and currently free to download for anyone with an Apple Arcade subscription. Offline play is available in this title, which makes it a convenient and enjoyable way to pass the time and challenge your brain at the same time.
Adorable yet Unorthodox Presentation
There are lots of scenes in this puzzle-based title that were pure serotonin for me. You get wholesome scenes like being serenaded by a band of swampland creatures, but on the other hand, there are parts of the game that are a bit eerie. For one, ghosts are an integral part of the game’s story and gameplay. Additionally, some of the imagery and sounds produced by the game are more than a little bizarre.
The design of the creatures in Samorost 3+ follows that trend—cute, with a dash of creepy. All of the stylistic choices are unorthodox but add to the charm of the game. And nothing ever seems out of place. Because although you are controlling a gnome that feels like he came from a fairy-tale, Samorost 3+ is not typical. There is an element of sci-fi to this game that you wouldn’t normally see paired with woodland gnomes. It’s a plot that would sound absurd if explained out loud, but all of the pieces work very well together, united by a very cohesive art style and artistic vision.
Experimental, Whimsical Puzzles
Every puzzle you encounter is Samorost 3+ is different. The only thing each puzzle has in common is that they all have a whimsical twist. If you have an analytical mind or are an expert at puzzles, maybe you will breeze through the game quickly. As for me, I love the challenge of a good puzzle, but am I any good at solving them? Based on my relatively slow progression through this game, I’m going to guess ‘probably not’.
Solving puzzles and exploring the world map in Samorost 3+ was mostly a trial-and-error process. I fumbled my way through a lot of the puzzles, but most of them were enjoyably challenging. And there is nothing quite like that feeling when you are able to breeze through it because you discovered the secret pattern that had been eluding you.
My gripe with this games difficulty is not with the puzzles themselves, but rather that it’s not always clear which puzzle you should do next. It’s problematic considering you must complete puzzles in the correct order to progress. Although the world was fun to explore, my aimless wandering as I tried to complete objectives in the right order did get frustrating at times.
Weird but Wonderful Clues
You are not dropped off in the world of Samorost 3+ with zero guidance, though. In your inventory is a mysterious book, with a lock on it. This book acts as your compass in the weird, sometimes confusing land of Samorost. You unlock it by solving a simple puzzle involving lining up red stones. You can then view a page that gives you hints about how to solve the accompanying puzzles. It’s a slight inconvenience to unlock the book every time you use it, but I think that’s the point: it’s a puzzle game, so no answers are given to you easily.
Granted, the ‘hints’ the book gives are vague sketches. Think the building instructions that come with an Ikea product, but even less helpful. Again, I think that’s the point, though; it maintains the element of challenge throughout this puzzle adventure.
The book is not the only form of instructions provided to you. At many points in the game, you will summon ghosts, which instruct you on what to do next, and how to do it, functioning as a very charming way to deliver exposition.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Samorost 3+ is an enjoyable game. You never know quite what to expect as you advance through the nine different locations in Samorost 3+, but whatever you find is guaranteed to be intriguing. As I wandered, I wondered what strange creatures I would see next, and what the next task would be. Samorost 3+ is a title that engages and tickles your imagination. Above all, Samorost 3+ is best experienced as a sensory journey. It intends to provide a feast for your eyes, ears and mind and succeeds at all three objectives. The word fantastical is perhaps the best way to sum up Samorost 3+, but the game can only be truly understood by playing and experiencing it for yourself.
