On the Peril of Parrots (2023)

Developer: Spritewrench
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Casual, Indie
Rating: 3.3 of 5, 35 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 55 minutes
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A serene yet stressful puzzle game where you solve colorful grid puzzles under the watchful eye of a scientist, balancing the risk of failure with the ability to undo moves at a cost.

mindfulstrategictensecolorfulminimalistpunishingrelaxingdifficult

What players say

Players are split on this puzzle game. Some enjoy the evolving mechanics and clever metapuzzle, but many warn it's very short with only about an hour of content. A common complaint is that a hidden trick can trivialize the puzzles, and the story's AI themes feel underdeveloped. The skip mechanic and score manipulation are noted as interesting but also enable cheesing the game.

Screenshots

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More by Spritewrench

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.