Pillar

Some games have the main character searching for treasure, others must save a damsel in distress, or maybe kill a monster that’s threatening human existence. But, how about a game in which the character searches for knowledge, and understanding. And how about if you have not one but several characters whose personalities actually dictate gameplay mechanics?

That’s what Pillar does. It takes you on a journey in which you will explore human nature using subtle concepts, all while also solving some thought provoking puzzles.

What are you? Is what the game asks you from the very beginning and for a good reason. Pillar wants to introduce you to the idea of having a game tailored to fit a certain type of personality.

For example, if you answer the previous question with ‘distant’, Pillar transforms into a puzzle game in which the main character has to move around while remaining completely unseen by the people around. It doesn’t sound like much but the game features an interesting mechanic that is used and it’s certainly fun.

Another mode fuses the giving and capable personality types and has you playing as a poor girl and a rich man who intertwine their lives without actually seeing each other to shed light into the world. Well, they step on buttons to turn on street lamps but what you need to understand is that Pillar goes beyond appearances in almost every single aspect.

Pillar is a good looking game and not just because every square inch is hand drawn. Level layout, character design, color selection and everything else seem to flow perfectly into one another. The soundtrack also takes a hold of you and slowly pulls you into the atmosphere of the game which fluctuates between cheerful and saddening.

As far as the puzzles go, they have just the right amount of balance between tricky and enjoyable and each one uses different mechanics.

If you choose to see Pillar as a good looking 2.5D puzzle game with plenty of puzzles to solve, that’s fine. Simplified, it is that. However, Pillar is about more and if you choose to dive a bit deeper into the meaning of what you’re actually doing, it will make a lot of sense.

Give it a play and if you enjoy it, show your support by visiting the Pillar Greenlight page.