A well-polished, well-designed sokoban game with smart puzzles and smart solutions. With its simple set of core elements and mechanics, the game presents an emergent system of interactions and problems that requires creative and out-of-the-box thinking to solve.

I also appreciate the game's pacing with its overworld, divided into separate regions. Each region explores a different facet of the game's design and helps to gently guide the player into unusual mindsets. Very rarely will the player find themselves soft-locked due to being stuck on a puzzle - if you can't get through a certain level, you can always try another one in a different region.

The goal of most puzzle games, I find, is to make the player feel smart - and Candle Prick certainly delivers that. It's challenging without being intimidating; it provides hints without being hand-holding or condescending; and it's deep without being overly complex. I'm usually not a fan of puzzle games, but I wholeheartedly recommend this one.