Puzzle by Nikoli W Akari (2022)

Platforms: Xbox One
Where to get it: Xbox

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 calm, logical puzzle game where you methodically place lights to illuminate the board, rewarding systematic thinking with quiet satisfaction.

puzzlingmethodicalsatisfyingrelaxinglogicalcontemplativetactile

About

This famous and easily understandable puzzle was created in 2001. "Akari" is a puzzle in which you set lights based on the hint numbers in order to light up the entirety of the white space. The main features of "Akari" are the easy to understand rules, and the depth of the game. There are great numbers of patterns for which you will figure out "When the numbers and lights and spaces are combined like this, then this is how they are sure to match up", so you have plenty of opportunities to taste "the excitement of discovering new patterns".

Screenshots

More games like this

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.