Every so often, we find a game that completely floors us and sticks with us long after we play it. Sometimes these games are rich in story or boast revolutionary mechanics, but that isn't always the case. For example,
Oquonie isn't going to win any awards for controls, and it's not going to win story of the year, but it still managed to make it as one of our all-time favorite iOS games.
Oquonie is something to be experienced in the quiet solitude of your room with the lights down low, and the music up to maximum -- or better yet, get the headphones out. It's something to be enjoyed for a considerable length of time, rather than the last 15 minutes of your lunch break.
Oquonie is a world to get lost in, not a tool that you use to pass boring moments with. Don't go into it expecting fast play, or a deep story, but rather go into it with an open mind and a keen eye.
Oquonie is a puzzle game that takes place in a strange, alien world. Your objective, which is never clearly stated on anything other than
Oquonie's description in the App Store, is to navigate a winding, intertwined megastructure. The game is essentially a big maze, and it's your job to figure out how to get to the end. Talking to the denizens of this world will help you, but it's worth noting that none of them speak in English -- or any other language. No, these folk speak in some form of pictograph, and it's up to you to figure out what they mean.
Gameplay is simple, though the game is not. You move your character around by tapping the direction you'd like to go, and talking to other characters by "bumping" them. Occasionally, you'll collect either an item or a pictograph, which are often used as keys to open doors or teleport you to a new area. It's not an easy game by any means, but it's an endlessly intriguing one.
Oquonie is hand-illustrated, and has a strange and wonderful storybook feeling to it, almost like
Alice in Wonderland. The character designs are some of our favorite, and we loved the fact that there are tons of little secrets hidden throughout the game. The soundtrack to
Oquonie is beautiful and ethereal, designed to leave you feeling just a little uneasy -- and playing this game with the sound up is a must. We found ourselves entranced by
Oquonie, and we highly suggest that anyone who likes strange games or difficult puzzles take a look at this one.
As we said,
Oquonie's not going to win any awards for writing, but that doesn't mean it's not worth playing. Getting lost in the foreign, sprawling setting was more than enough for us, and we loved the feeling of accomplishment we felt every time we solved a particularly difficult puzzle.
Oquonie is available for both iPad and iPhone, and costs $2.
Who Oquonie is sure to please:
If you're a big fan of "alternative" games, ones that don't follow the tried-and-true formulas of others on the market, you might find this one to be as engaging as we did.
Who Oquonie might not delight:
If you're not a puzzle lover, or if you don't like the idea of a game with little action, we suggest you leave this one in the App Store.
-- Amber Neely (
@SurferAmber)
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