Inner Tao

Inner Tao is a minimalist sokoban puzzle game about guiding orbs to their right place. The game lets you control two complementary balls that need to help each other get past the level obstacles. Inner Tao is a calm yet complex game that offers few but significantly challenging puzzles.

Every Inner Tao grid level is split into yin (black) and yang (white) zones, with one or more marks on the floor. The level contains two balls that you may control in turns: the yin “Black Moon” ball, and the yang “White Sun” ball. You will also find some pushable orbs. Once every mark has an orb on it, the level is complete.

The complexity of Inner Tao comes from the movement restrictions affecting every element of the puzzles. The yin ball can only move through yang and vice versa. The type of the orbs is determined by the zone they are in; an orb in a yin zone will always be yang, but it will switch to yin if pushed in a yang zone.

The controllable balls can never switch type. Thus, orbs are more than your typical sokoban dead weights, they need to be cleverly used to navigate through the puzzles. The balls can enter an orb of the opposite type, allowing you to use the orbs as bridges between zones. A ball coming into contact with an orb of the same type will push it, but you can also push an orb that has a ball in it.

Though Inner Tao has a refined and minimalist design, its complex premise and counterintuitive logic turn it into an extremely challenging game that doesn't need to add any new mechanic. The levels come in small quantity but they follow the "no filler" philosophy; level 20 onwards are especially designed to maximize the difficulty.

This description was written by Andréas Andrieux.