Puzzle your way to tranquillity with Ashi: Lake of Light

Do you like logic or puzzle games? If you answered yes to this then you wouldn’t be alone. It’s definitely one of the most popular genres around when it comes to mobile and portable gaming and absolutely nothing indicates this is likely to change any time soon. With their often simple yet addictive game mechanics and re-playability, it’s little wonder they’re dominating the market and we’re beginning to see truly beautiful works of gaming art come out such as Ashi: Lake of Light. Ashi is a perfect example of how the logic or puzzle game genre can be served best by being a simple game with the ability to take you to a magical world. A combination of visually pleasing graphics and a calming meditative soundtrack, it’s incredibly hard not to be charmed by this delightful indie by Australian developer Nick Cellini. With all this in mind, let’s dive in.

Ashi: Lake of Light is a story about a little firefly as it traces a path across the surface of a candlelit lake. You must ultimately help the firefly reach its goal, traversing the lake and solving puzzles as you go. The game’s puzzles are minimalist, based on simple mechanics requiring you to tap lanterns in various stages of on or off to help the firefly navigate the lake. Although it’s not just lanterns that will be in your path.

Set your path and press the Play button located in the lower right corner and watch to see if you’ve made the right choices. In the event of an irregularity, there is nothing else to be done but to correct the route and attempt to reach the goal again. Overall there are 80 carefully designed levels for you to take your little firefly through, with a steady increase of difficulty as you progress on your journey. All of these levels are accompanied by beautiful seamless graphics and a truly meditative soundtrack that aid in drawing you into the charming little world of Ashi: Lake of Light.

In truth I found that the whole game looks simply stunning and the gradually added elements and challenges each new level provides brought even more fun, colour and charm to the game as a whole. So if you want a game that is perfect in its simplicity, and yet still manages to offer up a lot of fun and beauty, then Ashi: Lake of Light will certainly appeal to you.

I really enjoyed getting to play Ashi: Lake of Light. The game recommends you play with headphones/earbuds as you boot up the game, which is one piece of advice I do suggest you follow when possible. When the world around me becomes too hectic or the noise on the busy city trains and trams is getting to me, Ashi: Lake of Light is the little oasis in my headphones I so desperately need. This tranquil puzzle game about a solitary firefly’s meandering path through a candlelit world is available now on iOS, Android & Steam and is definitely one worth checking out so that you can practice your zen.