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Square Valley Review: A World-Creating Puzzle Game

12K View2022-05-03

I've always enjoyed strategic games; anything that'll keep my mind moving seems to charm me completely—especially civilization-building titles that require constantly thinking two steps ahead about the consequences of my actions. Given that, Square Valley was a pleasant find, as it features not only puzzles but world-creating too. Not only does it encompass both things I adore, but it also has such a calming and aesthetic game design that it enticed me to play for hours.

Square Valley is a soothing city-building puzzle game revolving around successfully creating a habitable world. It features a sandbox and daily challenge mode, as well as a general puzzle campaign.

Image Credited to Square Valley | Ryce Kube

There are forty-five playable campaign stages dispersed between three chapters. The sandbox mode allows you to build your own world to your liking without significant interference or preset goals, while the daily challenge is the opposite: It challenges you to figure out how to solve problems with only the limited tools provided. I enjoyed being able to play Square Valley in so many different ways, beyond just figuring out puzzles. The variety kept me interested in playing for more extended periods than I tend to spend with puzzle games.

Image Credited to Square Valley | Ryce Kube

On a mechanical level, Square Valley is relatively straightforward. You're presented with a nine-by-nine square grid on which you'll need to place tiles representing buildings, trees, animals, walls and more. Each plane has preset placed objects, which are always randomized. That means that even replaying the same stage will result in different outcomes as the environment changes.

The goal is to acquire enough points to surpass the stage's target score through strategically placing structures according to their effects. For example, some buildings can only be placed near roads or trees in order to gain points at the end of the stage.

There are a set number of turns in a stage, and every time you place a wall or a house, you consume one turn. You’re given a choice of randomized structures to place each turn whether it’s a house, apple orchard, etc. Each turn, the placement tiles where you’ll put down objects change too, meaning you'll need to map out optimal areas for each matter ahead of time.

Image Credited to Square Valley | Ryce Kube

Once you've put something down on a tile, you can't replace or delete it. After a few turns, you'll be able to place paths, streams, walls, and more in between squares to connect, ward off, or fence in animals, cities, and farm areas. Lastly, the game has a wind mechanic that spreads some objects like hay fields to other tiles depending on the placement and wind's direction. This game mechanic helped me see the importance of my choices since an object affected by wind could easily ruin the stage if placed incorrectly. It was crucial to know where the wind flowed because sometimes challenges required my structures to stay within a certain perimeter or I'd fail the stage.

Image Credited to Square Valley | Ryce Kube

The only thing that might hold me back from recommending Square Valley is its buy-to-play price tag: a measly $1.99. Don’t let that small cost scare you away, as what’s here is well worth paying it. Square Valley is a great game bolstered by its pleasing sound design and general art style. If the game's goal is to let players build a calming city, its well-thought-out game design makes the journey toward that goal all the more worthwhile and soothing.

It takes a lot for a game as simple as Square Valley to impress me, but the entire design of this title blew away my expectations. It's so straightforward, but the strategies and ideas I could come up with are endless. Yes, there are goals you need to achieve, but the journey to them is totally up to you. This freedom of choice to create a world to my image was invigorating, challenging, and a reason why I stuck with Square Valley for the long haul.

SCORE: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

PLAY IF YOU LIKE:

If you enjoy puzzle games like Monument Valley 2 or its predecessor, you might be interested in playing Square Valley. Both games share similar game mechanics featuring captivating architectural structures, wherein you’ll need to solve puzzles to pass through stages.

And if civilization-building games like Hay Day is more up your alley, then Square Valley might be for you. Similarly, these games feature city-creating mechanics allowing players to build a world of their own. From apple orchards, to towers, and more, it’s up to you to make your ideal valley.

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