Cipher Zero Review
Cipher Zero. Zapdot
Cipher Zero is a logic game where the initial simplicity masks a snowballing level of fiendish complexity. Ben Cole Wu developed the original version, Cipher, in 72 hours in 2019 as a game jam entry for Ludum Dare 45. He and Jordan Toth expanded the game into a full release containing over 300 puzzles with the assistance of Boston studio Zapdot.
Cipher Zero. Zapdot
Like Picross or other Nonogram games, your task is to decide whether a tile in a playfield should be toggled or not based on the clues the puzzle provides. In Picross, the clues are numbers along the border of the puzzle, and the game explains how to interpret them to solve the puzzle with logic. In Cipher Zero, the clues are symbols rather than numbers, and part of the puzzle is deciphering their meaning.
Cipher Zero. Zapdot
The game offers no instruction. All you can do is toggle a tile on or off, then check if the solution is correct. Puzzles start as non-uniform grids of tiles with a single kind of clue. The game gradually becomes more complex as each chapter introduces a new kind of symbol. Some simpler puzzles at the start of the chapter are meant to help you discover the symbol’s meaning, but then subsequent puzzles will test you by bringing back all the symbols you’ve already learned. Just as you start to become comfortable, Cipher Zero starts to introduce new tile shapes—rectangles, interlocking forms, hexagons—instead of just new rules. You have to speak the game’s language fluently to succeed.
Cipher Zero. Zapdot
The game’s art is stylish, minimalist like its puzzle design. Each chapter is presented as a different environment rendered with flat, textured forms and subtle animations that will evolve as you solve its levels. The puzzles themselves are set against more abstract dark backgrounds and are made up of flat-colored geometric shapes with some texture animation. Satisfyingly tactile visual and audio effects punctuate your interactions with the puzzles.
Cipher Zero. Zapdot
I haven’t yet finished Cipher Zero; perhaps I’m a third of the way through the game. I’m enjoying it at a slow pace, doing a few puzzles daily. When I play Picross, my brain is on cruise control—I’m able to zone out and solve puzzles intuitively because I know the logic and strategies so well. I can’t do that with Cipher Zero. It’s a more mentally involved process, especially since new kinds of clues are introduced before I have enough time to get to the point where solving the puzzles becomes second nature. If you like thinky games, Cipher Zero is a great one to dive into.
Cipher Zero is available now on Steam.
Overall Score: 9/10
Played on: Steam Deck
