Starseed Pilgrim Review

Starseed Pilgrim is an indie game released in 2013 that was well-received by critics (83 Metacritic score) and heavily promoted by Jonathan Blow, the creator of Braid. Braid is one of my all-time favorite games, so that got my attention. When I saw the game recommended in a couple other corners of the gaming world, I thought I ought to give it a try.

However, none of the game's promoters said too much about the game, other than there being a world to explore and that "you've got to play it for yourself". I'm a huge fan of Metroid- and Zelda-style exploration, and I'm always looking for similar experiences. That convinced me to buy the game on a Steam sale.

I've now put 4 hours into the game and I'd like to come right out and tell you what the game is: there is a relaxed exploration phase, but the core game is a difficult, time-limited puzzle/strategy game with heavy randomization. If that sounds appealing to you, stop reading right now and give the game a try. It has deep strategic mechanics and is worth the money, especially on sale. If you're still not sure, here's a vague description of what the game feels like, without spoiling much of the experience:

http://www.electrondance.com/the-five-stages-of-starseed-pilgrim/

However, if that doesn't interest you - as it would have been the case for me if anyone had been open about the game's genre - allow me to spoil the game for you with a review of its design.