Excellent puzzle platformer, which combines efective game design, balanced difficulty and creative approach to puzzles. Above all stands an unmistakable graphic design by Amanita Studios, like a golden crown of a bit scary world. [Issue#305]

Creaks is the new addition to Amanita Design’s catalogue, with wonderful visual design and puzzle challenges that will please fans of the genre.

Amanita Design has moved away from their usual adventure style to build one awesome puzzle-platformer. Thanks to a near perfect learning curve, painted detours, and a stunning visual and musical package, Creaks is a must for fans of the studio and puzzle aficionados alike.

Visually striking and mentally satisfying, Creaks is a puzzle platformer that fully embraces its oddball nature. Some control and pacing niggles aside, it’s a bright new genre entry, sure to have extra appeal for people with darker, cerebral tastes in entertainment.

It would have been wonderful to see this team’s giant imagination expressed through the subversion of, rather than adherence to, well-worn puzzle platform conventions, but perhaps that is just plain greedy. It is, after all, such a treat to find a gorgeous narrative game that owes nothing to the culturally prevalent aesthetics of Disney, Marvel or Studio Ghibli. While the puzzle construction at the heart of Creaks is formulaic, that should not be a disincentive to give this short, singular experience a try. No time with an Amanita Design game is ever wasted.

Those small flaws don't detract from what is a great little puzzle game, though. Amanita basically has a perfect track record when it comes to its different releases and Creaks does not break that trend. It certainly is something new for the studio that longtime fans may not immediately gel with, but those that have a love of the weird and creepy will find a lot to admire in Creaks.

The game is primarily a vehicle for Amanita Design’s brand of typically immaculate artistry.