Quern, Undying Thoughts

Quern is a point and click game, but one where you can wander around freely in a strange and mysterious world. The game is reminiscent of Myst, you, alone, in a strange world full of strange contraptions. There are letters in the game that explain some of what’s going on. A smart guy has set up all these puzzles to make understand the nature and power of Quern.

Find it on Steam.

Quern, is a lonely game where you wander around fixing machines and figuring out puzzles because that’s the way you’ll get home. Along the way, you learn more about the island and why you were brought there.

There are some features to help you along the way. You can highlight all objects that you can interact with. That’s really useful considering the amount of clutter around the world. Two, you can get hints on inventory items, and inventory items only. Usually, that means telling you where keys go. That’s great since sometimes, you’ll find keys much after you see the lock, so this will save you from running around the entire map

The atmosphere of Quern is great. It feels like a strange mysterious world that someone else has come and built over. It doesn’t look that alien, but it does look great, with more fantastical location being seen the deeper into the game you go.

The music is also nice. It really helps set the mood, and the music will change depending on the area. It can be nice and serene or just a bit tense. While there are no activities that requiring timing or rushing, the change in music does add a sense of tension.

The puzzles are pretty fair. There won’t be many times where you need to remember something from somewhere far away without it being obvious where to find that information. There is a good variety like getting all the lights to light up or connecting pipes to get energy from one end to the other.

I think my favorite puzzles are those that feel more a part of the world rather than those put there specifically to be puzzles. There are a good amount of those, too, such as the gardens. That area has a great feel and puzzles

Perhaps the finding out where to go next will be the most annoying part. You do have a map of the island, though, and as you progress, the island starts becoming more interconnected. Old areas remain relevant as you must return with new information or items.

There is a notebook feature, but I find it pretty annoying to use. You would do much better taking notes by hand if you need it. And you will need notes.

So go off and explore Quern. Discover the mystery of the world and find a away home. Also find it on Steam.