Have a few hours to yourself and nothing to fill them with? Consider Rain City, a delightful, picture book style puzzle game.
In a time where everyone is losing their mind from boredom and might not be able to get their hands on all the newest, most expensive games, Rain City is an amazing indie title to turn to.
A one-player puzzle game released June 2019 by ORENDA for Nintendo Switch and the PS4, Rain City is absolutely lovely.
Follow the story of a dedicated young cat on his journey to find his missing sister in Rain City. The city itself is designed wonderfully to fit in with the picture book aesthetic, and as you might have guessed, it always rains.
The game is as bizarre as it is adorable, with a surprising depth of emotion. The puzzles are fun but challenging, and there are quite a few that might be sending you to search for answers online. Some puzzles can only be solved with time and determination, but I’ll give you a hand later on with one of the harder – or at least, more frustrating – puzzles if you find yourself in need.
Uncover the mystery of the disappearing sister through various puzzles and meet plenty of colourful characters along the way. Some puzzles rely on memory and observation, some on patience and dedication, and some depend on the sheer, single-minded determination that comes from almost losing your mind because you missed a minor detail you didn’t think was important.
There are a number of fun and challenging mini-games throughout the storyline, and as you delve deeper into the game, your character will collect useful items to help you keep getting on. Don’t miss those items or you’ll be lost and confused while running around in a strange underground bathroom for half an hour.
If you ever find yourself too confused, not to worry, a number of people have uploaded gameplay guides on YouTube. But here’s a quick guide to one of the most confusing puzzles in the game:
Solution: The Mushroom Maze
When you walk into the greenhouse room, walking along the path will lead you into the noxious green gas and the character will pass out. You will wake up in a hallway with a sign reading “welcome” backwards, and a single door to go through. Once you pass through this door, the puzzle begins. There are ten rooms that follow, each with four doors within, including the one you enter from.
Here is the correct combination to complete the puzzle:
Room One: Down
Room Two: Left
Room Three: Up
Room Four: Left
Room Five: Down
Room Six: Left
Room Seven: Up
Room Eight: Right
Room Nine: Up
Room Ten: Right
Once you’re through the tenth door, you’ll enter another hallway which will lead you right to the mushroom you seek. I sure hope you collected the jar to keep it in from the Rat’s Lab!
Rain City is available on the Nintendo Switch for $7.58, with a free demo. Find out more here. It’s available for $16.95 on PS4, find out more here.
