This latest that Yogscast Games have championed, Rhell: Warped Worlds and Troubled Times looked to be a fun time. A puzzle adventure where the solutions to puzzles are the spells found along the journey. Developer SlugGlove have cast a lot of magic with this game, letting the core be free in approach. Offering puzzles that can be solved in many ways – whether small or large in difference.

Starting out, the premise is shown through a cutscene of still images. People have been disappearing from the world, with no-one sure how it is happening. But those who are left know who. They’re just powerless to do anything. Until Rhell, a mage captured many months ago, is awoken in her cell by a spell book falling on her. Given control here, I use the push spell to move the cell door – rather than the much more obvious twist – and am on my merry way.

Confronting the remaining empress of the kingdom, I’m directed to the library to the east. Able to leave the castle, I begin exploring to find plenty of puzzles that test my magical ability. Along with the few remaining people of this kingdom. Hot-headed in nature, Rhell’s interaction with people can be fiery. She’s not one to mince words, especially if she feels they have wronged her. As such, it’s fun to read these interactions.

Into the library, the true test of puzzling comes. Each room has something important that needs to be collected or navigated, with more runes being added to the spell book as they are found. Spells can be combined, adding up to five at a time. These can be the same, to improve the power behind the spell. Or different, which creates a new effect. Dummies can also be summoned, which will cast the spell they were combined with.

Combing spells is a core part of solving puzzles. Whether that be turning items into water through the use of fire and ice, turning them into metal objects with ice and goo, or simply chucking things around by using push and rise. With 40 different runes to find, there’s plenty of mayhem that can be caused with them once that spell book is filled. Of course, with this much freedom, some restrictions have to be put in place.

That’s where seals enter the picture. Certain puzzles will have a seal that will stop Rhell from casting within or at those spaces. Seals can also be placed on buttons on the ground, meaning dummies can’t be used to bypass the puzzle. This creates a more interesting style of puzzle, but no less limits creativity. Such as with a wooden barrier that needs burning down. Except a waterfall will extinguish any fiery object that gets close.

Exploring this world is important. There’s runes that can easily be missed. Besides, why would you want to rush things when there is so much to find across these nine sections of the world. Along with the runes and other things needed for progression, there’s jelly beans and coins, and a few other things. It gives completionists something to aim for, adding to the puzzles that need solving. And they might just have a use, too.

Each section of this world is varied, with the mountain full of lava and rope bridges that have seen better days. While the crystal caves that can be found look calming with all the water layering the floors and walls. The art style might look flat, but it’s detailed. Utilising shades of colour to make things pop. The various effects of the spells also have a nice look to them.

The store description mentions that the game is best enjoyed in a 4:3 aspect ratio, reflecting the GameCube nostalgia. And Rhell: Warped Worlds and Troubled Times does look similar to certain GameCube games. It can be played with whatever ratio you want, however. With many border options to choose from, whether that be curtains, banner collages, checkboards, or even backgrounds cut in half.

Which is just one of the great options the game provides. There’s many other options, too. Such as having helpful partner Beesle the gem bug highlight important things within the world. To help in puzzle solving, the pause menu has options to reset the room or simply remove dummies. Fast travel is also a thing, with any area visited able to be travelled to at the press of a button.

There’s a lot to enjoy with Rhell: Warped Worlds and Troubled Times. Utilising spells to mess around with the world and navigating it. The charm of the visuals and interactions. The joy of finally figuring out a solution that works. It all comes together to provide one great experience. An experience that I can easily recommend. Now, time to return to continue trying to figure one puzzle out that will no doubt have me saying “how could I be oblivious to the obvious?” once solved.

Images Taken From:
Rhell: Warped Worlds & Troubled Times | PC