REVIEW / Aarik and the Ruined Kingdom

Aarik and the Ruined Kingdom is a perspective based puzzle game from indie developer Shatterproof Games. Aarik is a young prince with a bedridden father, missing mother, and, as you probably guessed, a ruined kingdom. Using the king’s crown, the titular prince navigates through isometric levels that twist and transform to reveal a path forward.

Over the course of the game Aarik will receive special crystals that award him bonus abilities for his quest. These manifest in 4 different colors that each have different powers. These crystals can turn back time to rebuild destroyed structures, move towers, or control robotic allies to solve puzzles. These abilities serve to spice up the puzzles and break up the game into distinct sections. 

Aarik and the Ruined Kingdom emphasizes the cozy vibe in all aspects. The atmosphere is chill; the music accentuates the calming nature of the often simple puzzles. The puzzles are meant to twist the player’s viewpoint without being brain-busting difficult. This is by design; Shatterproof Games wants Aarik to be a chill game that you can relax while playing. Over the span of the roughly two hours it took to see the adventure to the end, I never faced a challenge that stumped me.

If anything, the only roadblocks encountered on the path to restore Aarik’s kingdom were issues with controls. Some of the powers were a little spotty when they wanted to work with me; The robot control power would accidentally deactivate when I didn’t want it to, using the telekinesis power would be tough to line up the blocks to make them fit exactly, and the rewind time power would be very finicky with where it would line up the paths to allow passage. The frustration from this was, admittedly, slight but was noticeable enough to be disruptive of the overall experience. 

Overall Aarik and the Ruined Kingdom is a relaxing adventure that can be completed in one sitting. The visuals and soundtrack lend themselves perfectly to this quaint little adventure that doesn’t overstay its welcome. The crystal powers do a great job at adding some spice to the gameplay, but the implementation of them are a bit touchy and can cause some frustration.

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.