The Initiate

A challenging puzzle adventure that is equal parts satisfying and frustrating. I'm giving it a thumbs up but must also include a warning.

The issue is that this game is too rough around the edges. Sometimes this will make puzzle solving unnecessarily harder as clicks don't seem to register or you miss a pixel-perfect positioning or don't notice an overly faint color gradient. For some people this kind of frustration is a deal breaker, and if that's you then you should avoid this game.

The lack of polish extends to the text: though apparently written by native English speakers, it is riddled with spelling and grammatical mistakes. And then there's lack of 4K resolution for some reason, poor performance even on a high-end rig, and various other little bugs and omissions.

The game could really have benefited from playtesting, editing, and other quality assurance efforts.

But, not to leave on a negative note: the game is essentially good, with excellent, difficult, and yet solvable puzzles. The milieu is well-designed and atmospheric with decent graphics and sound work. If you're patient and are not embarrassed to reach for a walkthrough for a hint (it's not your fault that the game's UI is bad!) then there's a diamond in the rough to be found here.