Mirror Layers

Simplicity is an admirable feature when done right, especially in terms of gameplay. Certain genres are a lot easier to deal with in this regard, but almost every game can benefit from more straightforward mechanics sometimes. On the other hand, a bit of complexity never hurt anybody, especially in a puzzle game that puts your mind to work.

Mirror Layers is a first-person adventure game with horror elements and gameplay based on puzzles, in which your goal is to explore the environment and find clues that help you unravel a creepy mystery. Don’t expect too much content, on the other hand, but then again this is a small project designed for a game jam competition, so its simplicity is understandable.

The action takes place in a house that appears quite normal at first, except that strange things keep happening as you explore its rooms. You stumble upon a variety of unusual objects along the way, some of which come in handy when it comes to solving the puzzles. However, the focus is on exploration, and you can tell that the atmosphere was a very important element for the developers when the game was designed.

You can also interact with a few items as you follow the course of the plot, such as a computer, which actually features a command prompt interface. In truth, the puzzles are not very complex, so they do not pose too much of a challenge in the grand scheme of things, but it’s nice that they are usually so different from each other. Jump scares are not the focus either, so it doesn’t feel like a cheap horror flick.

As for the graphics, they are designed to look retro and pixelated, but it’s not a very bad look after you get used to it. In fact, everything actually looks modern until you notice the low-resolution models, since you actually move in full 3D, much like in a regular modern game. The sound effects are nice as well, since they contribute a lot toward the overall experience.

In the end, Mirror Layers has the right mixture or horror, adventure and puzzles, especially if you are willing to make do with the basic visual presentation. Hence, it would be nice to see the developers work on a bigger project in the future and bring the same enthusiasm with them.