Archaica: The Path of Light

Archaica: The Path of Light for PC is an independent logic game inspired by Chromatron and Aargon; the player's goal here is to save the civilization from extinction. The game is the debut of TwoMammoths – a Polish team comprised of Turecki brothers – Piotr (the programmer) and Marcin (the artist).

Plot

The player assumes the role of the chosen one, who is the only individual capable of saving the world from ultimate destruction. In order to achieve this goal, they have to complete the so-called Path of Light, which is a series of special trials requiring the player to do some brainwork. Although the player does not have to get acquainted with every fact related to the plot in order to complete the game, the creators included several features specifically for those who wish to get deeper into the history of the game world. Subsequent mysteries are solved thanks to the hieroglyphs located on the maps; additionally, certain storylines can be discovered only if the player has managed to complete secret levels. Those are incredibly difficult to unlock and require the player to solve additional puzzles, so all the secrets concealed in Archaica: The Path of Light will be discovered only by the most persistent players.

Mechanics

In order to save humanity from extinction, the player has to activate special defensive mechanisms. This however, can be achieved only by leading a beam of light through the ancients' path. In practice, this means that the player has to manipulate mirrors, which are used to direct the beam towards magic crystals that deliver energy to the machines. The task is more complicated than one may think, as the beam of light has to go through all the crystals within the field of view at the same time. Additionally, the player has to deal with a series of demanding problems related to moving rock blocks, opening gates, or using different devices (in total, the game features 28 machines). The developer's aim was to design puzzles that do not cause the type of situations when the player chaotically tries out plenty of random solutions. Instead, the game rewards logical thinking above all. However, if the player experiences serious trouble trying to find the solution, they can make use of the special system of tips, but first, they have to fill a meter using links found. This system only places the player back on the right path, without showing them the actual answer.

The campaign takes the player to six different lands, divided into several levels, which gives 65 maps containing puzzles – completing those can take even as much as 16 hours. All these maps can be accessed from the world map, so the player can easily get back to the levels they have completed.

Technical aspects

Archaica: The Path of Light for PC utilizes an engine TwoMammoths developed themselves. Diverse environments constitute the main feature of the game, as they differ both in what they look like, and the kind of puzzles and machines they offer.

Last updated on 26 April 2020