Proverbs Review
Proverbs is a pleasant, trance-inducing grid puzzle experience that combines Picross and Minesweeper.
Proverbs. (Credit: Divide the Plunder / Mark Ffrench)
I was intrigued when I heard the premise of new puzzle game Proverbs by Mark Ffrench. He calls it a “Picross/Minesweeper hybrid,” and I love Picross. Though it’s more similar to Minesweeper, I had a great time with the game. I’m still working on the game’s massive multipart puzzle, and I’m addicted.
The game consists of a giant, 54,000+ square grid Minesweeper-style puzzle divided into oddly shaped sections. Each time you complete a region, the game reveals part of a pixel art version of Peter Bruegel the Elder’s 1559 painting, Netherlandish Proverbs, and tells the proverb associated with that piece. I find the proverbs fascinating, along with Bruegel the Elder’s representations, but perhaps not everyone would care as much about this aspect of the game.
Proverbs. (Credit: Divide the Plunder / Mark Ffrench)
Numbers from 0 to 9 appear on grid spaces, representing the number of highlighted spaces in the 3x3 space area occupied by each number. When you’ve correctly marked the spaces as highlighted or dark, the number is dimmed. As the 3x3 squares overlap, you can quickly deduce the layouts of nearby numbered spaces. Once you get into a rhythm, the game induces a pleasant meditative flow state that I find relaxing.
Proverbs has a convenient hint system that I found helpful. If you get lost and can’t spot a solvable section in the puzzle, clicking on the Hint button zooms the camera into a 3x3 grid that you can solve, giving you a new starting point. There are no limits to its use, but the button does have a cooldown.
Proverbs. (Credit: Divide the Plunder / Mark Ffrench)
My only complaint about the game is that the result of a completed puzzle doesn’t at all represent the art that replaces it. In Picross, you create a shape that gets rendered into something recognizable, which feels rewarding. It’d be nice to actually be drawing a version of the painting. Aside from that, I wish that the game had more music tracks, though the ones included are pleasant and fit the game well.
Proverbs. (Credit: Divide the Plunder / Mark Ffrench)
I’ve played for around a dozen hours and completed slightly more than half of the overall puzzle. Playing the game has been a great way to wind down, and I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of logic puzzle games.
Proverbs is available now on PC (Steam).
Overall Score: 8/10
Played on: Steam Deck
