She Remembered Caterpillars (2017)

Almost every move the game makes is perfect, yet a slight nit-pick I had was the diagonal movement design. On one hand I see the benefit as it allows the obstacles to stand out and show up easier placement wise. Yet I also found the Gammies to control slightly erratically, undercutting the game ever-so-slightly. By no means was this a deal breaker, but it did stick out to me in the long run. Against all odds though, She Remembered Caterpillars is a game that blew me away. I had a great time solving each puzzle, and in later stages the completion of them resulted in me physically celebrating with a fist pump. The story, while lacking a strong resolution, is still touching, and does a good job of keeping you invested in the game. While I don’t feel it deserves a perfect score, She Remembered Caterpillars is still an exceptional game that you should absolutely pick up. It’s definitely a title that I’ll remember for quite awhile.

It's impossible to not think about how the puzzle genre has been refined in the three years between the game's original release and the Nintendo Switch port.

It's a great shame then that these moments of enchanting brilliance are completely at odds with gameplay that quickly becomes off-puttingly frustrating. The addition of some sort of hint system would certainly broaden the appeal, but as it stands this is likely to appeal to only the most hardcore of puzzle fans. A game that masters the intricate balance between challenge and fun is a beautiful thing, so it's unfortunate that a beautiful game like She Remembered Caterpillars falls squarely on the less favourable side of that equation.

She Remembered Caterpillars is fun to play but even more enjoyable to bang your head against and although its presentation can feel clumsy at times the feeling the game leaves you with is undeniably beautiful.

Overall, while short, the compelling nature of She Remembered Caterpillars more than makes up for this shortcoming. It offers enough of a challenge to stump you into working to decipher the puzzles, while not punishing you for your attempts.