TRACE Review: Escape a Sci-Fi Moon with Ingenious Puzzles

Our Rating

7.9/10

Developer

colorbomb

Platforms

Web

First Impressions

Jump into TRACE, and you'll find yourself instantly intrigued by its premise. The game drops you on a sandy moon with nothing but your wits and enigmatic puzzles to aid your escape. The sci-fi elements beckon with mysterious allure, setting the stage for what feels like a live escape room adventure. TRACE promises to test even the most veteran puzzle enthusiasts with its 4/5 difficulty rating.

Gameplay Mechanics

One standout feature of TRACE is its integration of a camera mechanism, allowing players to snap photos of crucial clues. This can be a genuine lifesaver given the complexity of the puzzles ahead. The notes tab, equipped with a pencil and eraser, lends itself perfectly to jotting down hypotheses or sketching puzzle solutions, as every detail can matter. Auto-save alleviates the old anxiety about losing progress, ensuring you can dive back into the challenge at any time.

Visual and Audio Design

TRACE excels in creating an atmospheric escape room setting. The sandy lunar environment feels alien yet strangely immersive, drawing players further into its world. Visual cues are not just aesthetically pleasing but central to solving the game's puzzles. Accompanying the visuals is a soundscape that balances ambient noises with tense audio cues, strategically elevating the stakes during more difficult sections.

Content & Progression

With an engaging sequence of puzzles that steadily increase in difficulty, TRACE maintains a tight grip on your intellect throughout its runtime. While the journey is considerably linear, each puzzle requires lateral thinking and keen observation. Successfully navigating the game's riddles offers a rewarding sense of accomplishment, even if, once solved, there is little differentiation in subsequent playthroughs.

Performance & Technical Aspects

Technical performance in TRACE is generally robust. The game runs smoothly in fullscreen mode, as recommended. There are minor hiccups during scene transitions, but they seldom hamper the overall experience. Seamless saving and loading ensure your progress is never lost—a small but impactful feature in a puzzle-heavy game like TRACE.

TRACE Review: Escape a Sci-Fi Moon with Ingenious Puzzles

Our Rating

7.9/10

Developer

colorbomb

Platforms

Web

First Impressions

Jump into TRACE, and you'll find yourself instantly intrigued by its premise. The game drops you on a sandy moon with nothing but your wits and enigmatic puzzles to aid your escape. The sci-fi elements beckon with mysterious allure, setting the stage for what feels like a live escape room adventure. TRACE promises to test even the most veteran puzzle enthusiasts with its 4/5 difficulty rating.

Gameplay Mechanics

One standout feature of TRACE is its integration of a camera mechanism, allowing players to snap photos of crucial clues. This can be a genuine lifesaver given the complexity of the puzzles ahead. The notes tab, equipped with a pencil and eraser, lends itself perfectly to jotting down hypotheses or sketching puzzle solutions, as every detail can matter. Auto-save alleviates the old anxiety about losing progress, ensuring you can dive back into the challenge at any time.

Visual and Audio Design

TRACE excels in creating an atmospheric escape room setting. The sandy lunar environment feels alien yet strangely immersive, drawing players further into its world. Visual cues are not just aesthetically pleasing but central to solving the game's puzzles. Accompanying the visuals is a soundscape that balances ambient noises with tense audio cues, strategically elevating the stakes during more difficult sections.

Content & Progression

With an engaging sequence of puzzles that steadily increase in difficulty, TRACE maintains a tight grip on your intellect throughout its runtime. While the journey is considerably linear, each puzzle requires lateral thinking and keen observation. Successfully navigating the game's riddles offers a rewarding sense of accomplishment, even if, once solved, there is little differentiation in subsequent playthroughs.

Performance & Technical Aspects

Technical performance in TRACE is generally robust. The game runs smoothly in fullscreen mode, as recommended. There are minor hiccups during scene transitions, but they seldom hamper the overall experience. Seamless saving and loading ensure your progress is never lost—a small but impactful feature in a puzzle-heavy game like TRACE.