Toki Tori

Toki Tori turns a small bird into a puzzle game about planning every step before the trap closes. By our assessment, it is strongest when it asks for careful pathfinding, timing, and a little trial-and-error without becoming harsh about it. The downside is that the whole game is built around slow, exact thinking, so it can feel fussy if you want a relaxed platformer. In play it has the neat, compact feel of levels that look simple until the solution starts demanding real attention. It sits with the better-known cute-but-brainy puzzle-platformers rather than action-heavy mascot games. The cheerful look hides a game that is more about order and sequence than speed, and that is what makes it work.