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Guayota is a video game that I didn’t know much about before I was approached to review. So I went to look at the trailer and the game’s Steam page indicated that it was a top-down puzzle game, and it intrigued me enough that I wanted to give it a shot and I love trying out indies. So here we are with the Guayota review. I played this indie on my PC and I tested it out on my Steam Deck. After some time with the game, I have thoughts. Some thoughts lean towards positive and some not so much. So should you play Guayota and who is this game for? 

Let’s dive into it. 

The Narrative:

The game takes its inspiration from mythology from the Canary Islands and the Guanche people. This story is centered around the search for the legendary St. Brendan’s Island, which is believed to be paradise on Earth. Just like the myth, you play as an explorer sent by the Higher-ups in Spain to search for St. Brendan’s Island. You and your crew become stranded on the mysterious island, and it’s up to you to discover the history and lore of the island by solving puzzles in a series of three temples.

I appreciate that right at the beginning of the game you could tell that they made me narrative a focus of this game. In the beginning, you are presented with lore and backstory about who you are and your purpose. This is a concept that I feel is missing in some Indies that I played lately and I’m glad that it was present here. As the game continues and you solve puzzles you are introduced to more lore and dialogue. Unfortunately, the narrative didn’t hold my interest much due to some of the game’s dialogue. This was an example where short, sweet, and to the point and would have probably helped with the story.

The Gameplay:

Guayota has a unique feature in its gameplay design that caught me off-guard. It features a dual-realm puzzle system. This game features a torch that acts as you health bar. When the traps in the world extinguish your flame, your character is not killed; instead, you’re transported to an alternate version of the level. This alternate realm has the same layout but with different puzzles and obstacles. I found this idea to be a fresh one.

I did find that some of the alter realm puzzles are easier than the room puzzle that you encounter before your flame goes out. The alter zone puzzles tend to be more focused on finding a way out, and the absence of hazards allows for a more meditative, Mello/cozy experience. The two zones are both puzzle that you have to solve, but the different styles feel like they don’t quite mesh completely.

The gameplay is mostly puzzle-centric and while this normally isn’t my top genre of choice I feel like the puzzles were largely engaging and for the most part navigated the delicate balance of being challenging yet approachable.

Additional Pros:

There are a few aspects of the game that I want to shout out. First is that I dig the game’s artsyle and presentation. The game has a notable look to it and Team Delusion did an excellent job of creating areas that embody exploration and discovery. The Second aspect that deserves props is the voice acting. The voice actor is sparse, but there is a narrator and the lady’s voice is sensational. The narrator’s performance adds to the ambiance of the mysterious vibes of the setting.

I appreciated that Gyayota worked well on my PC as well as my Steam Deck. I found that playing this game on the Steam Deck was a bit more of an enjoyable experience. This game with this art style feels right at home on a handheld.

Cons/Flaws:

Guayota has some insanely good puzzles, but the absence of a hint system feels like a missed opportunity. Missing these feature makes this a harder game to recommend to those who don’t enjoy puzzle-centric games.

While most of the puzzles are well-designed, I did run into some that weren’t. The ones that I found to be lacking had traps that were hidden behind the camera and obstacles in the world, so when I was damaged by them it felt cheap versus something that was on me.

Overall/Should you Play Guayota Review:

This is a title that puzzle gamers can find some serious enjoyment in. The artsyle and the puzzles are solid, but the whole package is held back by some of the puzzles, dialogue, and the narrative as a whole. That said if you are a fan of puzzle-centric games then Guayota has more going for it than against it even if its problems keep it from being genre-defining.

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Reviewed on PC and Xbox