Cipher Zero

Cipher Zero (stylized in all caps) is a logic game with rule-discovery elements. The puzzles come in the form of glyphs positioned over small grids, and you have to shade in specific tiles in order to match the unspoken rules these symbols stand for. The glyphs add up to a rich and cohesive puzzle language, set against a compelling backdrop of reflective music and polished visuals.

Each glyph is usually introduced at the beginning of a biome, through a series of implicit tutorial puzzles meant to help you identify which tile pattern it's associated with. For instance, the very first glyph is a variation on the core nonogram rule of shading in a given number of tiles on marked rows and columns. Later glyphs lead to more complex situations which often involve drawing particular lines on the grid; one of the game’s standout rules is about fitting in line figures with a given number of endpoints.

The difficulty slowly ramps up from one biome to the next, as different glyphs are mixed to explore complex and satisfying consequences of the ruleset. Most grids from the first half of the game can be swept up after pulling out a clever break-in, like the puzzles of RYB. However, you likely won’t be able to prove your way out of the later puzzles. You’ll need to find cognitive shortcuts and let the glyphs act as a visual language, making the experience closer in design to The Witness.

The puzzles of Cipher Zero are presented in strictly linear fashion and there’s no hint system, so you may encounter a few head-scratchers that you’ll be staring at for some time. Thankfully, the outstanding art direction delivers a number of (non-intrusive) distractions. The background visuals involve rich geometric landscapes with creative textures and subtle animations, and the soundtrack deepens this glitch-industrial aesthetic with brooding overtones.

This description was written by Oriane Tury.