![]() ![]() The puzzles themselves are cerebral in nature, and at no point does the game demand lightning-fast reactions or expert precision. Of course, it does also output to the TV screen, meaning that it is fully possible to enjoy it with a partner - especially the puzzle-solving elements - but it nevertheless works best as a solitary experience. It’s an experience that commands your undivided attention on an audiovisual and gameplay level - to get lost in, if you will. ![]() Given that it’s entirely reliant on the GamePad’s touch screen, it’s best enjoyed when played off-TV with headphones on. It must be noted that Tengami is a deliberately slow-paced game, and one which is designed to be relaxing. It’s undeniably successful at augmenting the feelings of mystery, wonder and isolation you experience as you play. It’s further complemented by wonderfully authentic soundtrack - composed by the legendary David Wise of Rare fame - which incorporates traditional Japanese instruments. It looks beautiful, and is crafted with such precision and care that it’s hard to believe that this is the work of such a small development team. Turning the page to change scene will, for example, gradually collapse a magnificent landscape while making an ostentatious piece of Japanese architecture rise - all in real time. The way in which the aesthetics and the interactive elements come together is flawlessly executed: this is a game world that makes you want to explore it and, what’s more, lets you play around with it in such a fundamental way. In addition to telling him where to go, your role also requires you to interact with his unorthodox environment, manipulating the pop-up surroundings to open up otherwise inaccessible paths and solve puzzles. Using the Wii U GamePad touch screen, you guide a lone adventurer through this fantastical world in his quest to revive a metaphorical cherry blossom tree. Tengami is an adventure game that takes place within a pop-up book sporting a distinct art style, which merges the setting of Feudal Japan with the look and feel of traditional Japanese arts and crafts. This is a small band of Rare alumni that's now released its début game, Tengami, a title which embodies all of the above with astonishing success. This is a company that openly states that through great love and attention, it strives to create beautifully crafted games that bring a little magic into people’s lives. Tengami will first come to iOS in 2013, and a Wii U version will happen in 2014.Development studio Nyamyam prides itself on being founded with the primary purpose of making games that are fun and meaningful. Once it was over, I wondered what mystery sat at the heart of this soft and interesting game. Even after I played this early, unfinished build of Tengami I felt my interest pique just a little more. It helped the developers emphasize only specific points for the player to focus on. The rep on hand clarified that even though all iOS devices supported multi-touch, the team wanted to focus on single points of interaction. I also wondered if, given this started as an iOS game, if multi-touch would be a problem. So I asked a representative on hand, and she clarified that Tengami does travel in a specific arc, but she hoped that people wouldn't hang too much on a story and observe a bigger, metaphorical tale bound inside. ![]() At BitSummit, I remembered it involved a character with no name. Tenagami is an interactive picture book, but one that presented little story. It's Eastern influences fit the quiet atmosphere well. The pop-up aesthetic gave it a unique character and look. Each new page unravels another beautiful setting with moving streams and colorful fields. It's subtle, inventive and, at times, clever. The mystery unfolds in Tengami.Given the puzzles and interactions I've described, I hope you can see what makes Tengami so special. "Time to go back and unfold that paper staircase, " I thought. Once I accomplished this task, the trolling wolf went to sleep. I found a tree with wind chimes that I had to manipulate in a specific order. As I silently wondered how to get rid of this pest, the answer presented itself as I journeyed to the right-most part of the screen. Another involved a trolling wolf that would howl in order to close a stairway I unfolded. One puzzle required me to fold bush-shaped papers closed so I could open a path. I used a one-touch interface to interact with different tabs. Easily described as a puzzle game meets pop-up book, I played Tengami and walked through a serene and mysterious forest. The conversation between the two ended there. "It's a game where you tap and explore an environment, " Someone quickly responded. "I just don't understand what the game is here?" a disinterested male voice said. In fact, during my Wii U demo two attendees started talking about it, and I couldn’t help but overhear their discussion. Play But I will admit that it's hard to fully grasp Tengami at first glance. ![]()
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