After Light Fades is a sokoban style puzzle game, and is developed by Orchid of Redemption and published by Lamplight Forest, and I want to make it clear from the start that I am not the biggest player of puzzlers, but I enjoyed this very much, it is a lovely game.
We play as Alice who, while out, loses her partner Aura in a terrible fire. Shortly after this she discovers seven artefacts that are a link to their shared memories. Each artefact represents one of the stages of grief, and as Alice revisits emotionally significant locations she must discard the artefacts into abysses, therefore letting go of her grief and healing. There are no cut scenes to move the story along, instead the game takes the subtle approach of delivering the story through text on signboards and at level transitions.
This makes the story’s emotional impact seem weightier as each puzzle feels like another step towards healing and gaining closure.
There are over a hundred puzzles to tackle, and although they start off simple, pushing plants into holes or using fire to burn through wooden structures, the complexity increases as you progress. Later puzzles involve the use of magic mirrors, teleportation and transmutation crystals. Dedicated puzzlers shouldn’t have any problems, but it may be much more of a challenge to the casual gamer. Patience is required and you will need to engage your creative problem-solving skills.
The way objects interact with each other is interesting and creative. You can’t push a key directly but it can be pulled or pushed by energy, objects can be chained together or you can have an angel tow a crystal. The controls can be a little temperamental at times as you try to pull an object and push something else instead, leaving yourself blocked and unable to continue. However, there is an undo option, and a help function that allows you to identify what interactions are available with objects on each level.
Visually, After Light Fades is beautifully designed with each level having it’s own unique fantasy environment with a dreamlike art style that again reinforces the themes of grief and memory. The sound design is simple but effective and again adds a dreamlike quality to the overall gameplay experience.
If you’re a fan of sokoban style games or just puzzlers that present a challenge, you’ll definitely appreciate After Light Fades, and the emotional depth of the story serves as a great motivation to continue on to see Alice’s healing and closure to her loss.
I think, for the hours of gameplay it provides, and for the emotionally charged story that it tells, After Light Fades is well worth it’s £12.79 price tag on Steam. If you are a fan of the genre it is an absolute must have.
