Thread by @ElectronDance

I guess finishing Professor Lupo: Ocean afforded me enough self-justification to start a new game.

I have started @RbdJellyfish's open world puzzler Sensorium!

So: #Sensorium starts out in a small tutorial enclave where you learn quickly some basics. Unlock doors with power switches - follow the cables that light up a la The Witness.

Once you're through, the music swells and the world opens up; go anywhere.

Initial reaction: AARGH

It's no bad thing that #Sensorium follows some beats of The Witness.

The schematics in the world soon become more complicated - pink inverters are shown here, that flip the power state of input.

And these blue triangle thingys will retain power output, even if the input is switched off. (A transistor, right?)

I am aware this is still #Sensorium nursery time.

The #Sensorium visuals are not mind-blowing but they're appealing. No one is going to be throwing around graphical slurs like some do over a certain sausage game.

These crosses are fucking everywhere I've been in #Sensorium. Many are coloured. A couple were sketched on a whiteboard.

MYSTERY

Anyway I stopped #Sensorium last night when I got stuck on a block-pushing puzzle! I'm sure I'll be back.

(And walk away from my puzzle trouble.)

I solved that troubling #Sensorium puzzle and made some quick progress as a wind-down after the working day. Some puzzles, like this one, use obfuscation to mask the solution. It's not bothered me so far: in fact, I was delighted to solve this one.

With a *lot* of 3D block pushing involved in #Sensorium, I'm occasionally feeling the need for a grid of some kind on the floor, just as many 2D block pushers do. And log pushers. And sausage grillers.

Some random sights from #Sensorium

This #Sensorium is a bit too addictive for me. The confectionary combination of puzzling and exploration with a dash of MYSTERY is keeping me away from writing words.

There's plenty of scope for wandering in areas you're "not supposed to". I've been parkouring around some of the #Sensorium rooftops. The only hidden thing I've found through all my nosiness is this, though:

#Sensorium does have hubs dedicated to a particular type of puzzle like The Witness, but it also has plenty of, uh, extra stuff lying around.

Last comment of the day: Look at these wonderful things. They please me.

Hey, so #Sensorium update.

First, this goddamn puzzle. It was so much trouble. But a fabulous puzzle. I think I laughed when I realised what I had to do. I may have also called developer Tad Cordle a bastard. I must not spoil your surprise if you haven't played it.

Second, it takes time to notice the existence of "inaccessible" areas. For instance this courtyard.

And there's a door down there. So, obviously there must be a way, right?

Keep your eyes open and you'll see a lot of this.

Thirdly, I think the sound puzzles of #Sensorium are much more satisfying and fun than those of The Witness. There. I said it.

I'm not a fan of all these black walls, however. Feels like the space is obfuscated without good reason.

Fourth, I did have to seek out a hint for this area. Problem? This is not a sequence of puzzles but a *boss* puzzle - yet it's signalled as just one more puzzle hub like the rest.

If you want a Witness analogy, this area is analagous to the village but without signposting.

Fifth, secrets.

Sixth, secrets.

Seventh, what even

Lastly, I'm into the endgame.

But there are quite a few secrets I haven't got to the bottom of yet...

Okay I finished #sensorium, so it would be good time to use the hashtag again which I forgot to use in the last few tweets.

I found a way to escape the #Sensorium map, so I had a good old wander in the wastes out there.

I played #Sensorium compulsively, as if I had no willpower to choose to do something else, like write about videogames. I couldn't get enough of that brain candy.

Main puzzle thread was low frustration, aside from the "boss puzzle" incident. Difficulty sometimes swung wildly.

#Sensorium really was a little like a mini version of The Witness for me. It doesn't have the narrative layers, the HQ graphics nor the sheer amount of puzzles, but the puzzle/exploration hybrid was pitch perfect.

There was also a whole extra layer of secret shit in #Sensorium and it was clearly angling towards an alternative goal. Without getting into details, I was finding some things I didn't know what to do with. What held me back is that, somehow, I didn't see this passage. FOOL

But I had trouble finding All Of The #Sensorium Things because they are generally "well hidden". I resorted to seeking help online because I wasn't convinced finding them myself would be satisfying.

Some of these are *too* well-hidden and will wind up some despite patching.

But I figured out what to do with the Things so I was happy with that. I will caution you - this doesn't deliver an alternative ending nor any more narrative insight!

There are other minor #Sensorium secrets but most will be focused on the alternative challenge.

I never worked out what #Sensorium was about - I could guess, but there's not really enough to work with.

But it doesn't matter. What matters is that I must now go in a small corner and cry because it's done.

The End.