Blocks That Matter (2011)

after 12 years i finally 100%'d it -- idk why i took so long considering how much i always loved this little game. it reeks of early indie charm which i always loved. the subtle and humble bloop-atmospheric soundtrack really adds so much for me; and the abstractions of the level designs, you being a cute little drill robot with limited functionality that you have to account for. i love its puzzle elements, which feel comfortably balanced out with some simple action/platforming. there's nothing for me to say about the story other than... it's silly and inconsequential, and if anything it evokes a smaller entangled-community feel that i used to associate with indie games. i like how each level has 2 completionist objectives that are both unique to each other and intrinsically satisfying to figure out, but then that will unlock a corresponding bonus level that is much more of a head scratcher. and that's overall why this gets a 4/5 from me. it's a uniquely satisfying but simple puzzle game with a cozy exterior. nothing too crazy.

(my biggest issues are random controller problems that would come and stay until one random reinstall... actually i think that's the big reason i didn't finish till now. the controller decided to function as it should. but also this game was nice to take my time with.)

i forgot to mention, my first time playing this game was one of my first memories of the magical world of steam and indie games. my brother chose a random game from his collection and handed me the controller. i started joking about how amazing of a game it was, maybe even my favorite, and continued to play for hours... the next day im sure i just wanted to play more of it, lol. it was just so cozy