Simple Complexity in a Austere Puzzle Game
The best puzzle games take a handful of elements, and then surprise you with the complexity of puzzles those simple elements can create. Lexaloffle, the creators of this game (as well as Chocolate Castle) is something of a master of the genre, as Zen Puzzle Garden shows.
In Zen Puzzle Garden, you play a Buddhist monk who, in each level, has to rake the sand of a rock garden. The garden itself is a rectangle divided into squares; some are occupied by immovable rocks. You position yourself at one point around the garden, and rake across it--all the way to the other side, unless you are stopped by a rock. If so, you can then rake at a right angle from your previous direction of motion. To solve the puzzle, all open squares must be raked--but you can never re-enter an already-raked square.
Simplicity itself--and yet, it takes planning and thought to manage the task. At higher levels, two additional elements are added: stone lanterns, which unlike rocks can be moved (but only within the garden, and never only a previously raked square); and leaves, in three colors, which must be picked up (by moving onto them) in color order--all yellow leaves before all orange leaves before all red leaves.
At higher levels, in fact, some of the puzzles are of almost fiendish difficulty--but by the time you reach them, you'll have developed strategies that help you in solving them.
A nicely executed, almost minimalist puzzle game design.
The developer says:
If you thought that you could never reach enlightenment by playing a computer game...well...you're probably right. You can, however, fry your brain by trying to solve seemingly impossible puzzles that take place in a relaxing zen garden.
Design and play your own gardens with the built-in garden designer when you finish all the puzzles included!
Reviews
"This is one of the more enjoyable puzzle games that I've played. Many puzzle games become more and more frustrating as you go on. Zen certainly has some levels that I was swearing at, but the ability to skip levels helps tremendously at calming nerves when one level has just become too much for you. For those used to playing brick-dropping puzzles, Zen offers something completely different that is as fun to play as it is interesting."
- 9/10, Game Tunnel
"The presentation is very good and it is clear that a lot work has gone into getting the game to look, and work, just right. The boxes that represent levels on the level select screen spin and flip when the mouse pointer moves over. As well as looking good, this has a practical purpose because you can see the level inside the box.
The game screen has blossoms gently falling from the trees and in the winter levels the main character leaves footprints in the snow.
The controls are easy to use and instinctive, like using Esc for cancel and F1 for help. There are instructions in the game, as well as a detailed ReadMe.txt file.
There are 64 levels which is a lot for this game. The game is very challenging but not frustrating by being too difficult because the basic idea is so simple to visualise. It's almost like the solution is inches away. There is an undo button and the expected level restart, but no random levels unlike many puzzle games nowadays."
- 90%, Bytten
Awards
Winner, TUANZ Entertainment Product of the Year
GameTunnel 2003: Nominated for Game of the Year (7th).
GameTunnel 2003: Nominated for Puzzle Game of the Year (2nd).