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Damaged in Transit Review – Puzzles in a Dangerous Warehouse

Damaged in Transit Review – Puzzles in a Dangerous Warehouse
3.5

Platforms: Windows PC, Mac, Steam

Game Name: Damaged in Transit

Publisher: Everook

Developer: Wyatt Yeong, Diego Garcia, Greg Heffernan

Genre: Action, Puzzle

Release Date: March 23rd, 2020

Damaged in Transit by Wyatt Yeong, Diego Garcia, Greg Heffernan

Damaged in Transit by Everook strives to find a balance between two core puzzle design elements: challenge and reward.

Remote Controls

The narrative premise is simple. You’re a delivery drone operator whose job is to guide robots to their destination. This can be done by changing the direction of floor switches so that when the robots hit that specific switch, they go in your desired direction. Since all switches change to that specified direction, it makes maneuvering these drones very tricky.

Since there is no direct control over the robots, you have to be mindful of where both robots are at all times. This requires players to split their attention between the two. This is where the main challenge of the game comes in: you have to frantically flip switches quickly and effectively in order to succeed.

Adding to the challenge is the robots’ frailty. These robots can only get hit once, and it’s over; you have to restart the level from the beginning. Since levels are short, this isn’t that big of an issue, but frustration will start to seep in when levels become more complicated and require many different routes.

Warehouse Dangers

The game adds even more challenge when it adds more environmental hazards. Enemies that must be hit from all sides, spiky ground tiles, teleporters…it all starts to culminate into a challenging game. It got to a point where it was a little too much for me to manage everything that was happening.

Damaged in Transit requires both strategic route planning and twitch reactions in order to solve levels. The fact that my attention had to be split between two robots was the main challenging factor, but it’s also this game’s most unique element. There is even an option to slow the robots down to 60 percent, but even at that percentage, I did struggle with a number of levels.

I’ll admit that levels themselves are still rewarding when resolutions are found via discernible paths. But you know that feeling when you’ve played a puzzle game level so many times that when you eventually solve it, it feels less rewarding? That how I was feeling through most of these levels. So your enjoyment with the game will depend heavily if you want a puzzle game that’s going to really test and challenge you.

More Co-Workers Means More Workplace Hazards

There is also a co-op mode where one player is able to flip switches from up to down and the other player to flip switches from left to right. This is even more challenging since both players have to be on the same page and communicate with each other. The co-op mode is not essential to the game experience, but it’s a good alternate game mode if you want someone to solve these puzzles with.

Stylistically the game opts for a simple aesthetic. Hazards stand out, making it easy to differentiate them from one another at a glance. Its pixel-inspired graphics make for a more cheery vibe overall.

That cheeriness is aided by the game’s more chill soundtrack. Overall, these elements create a nice inviting atmosphere ripe for puzzle-solving.

Damaged in Transit will challenge even the most seasoned puzzle game enthusiasts. With 125 levels, there is plenty to sink one’s teeth into. If you’re looking for something that’s going to test you on multiple levels, I’d recommend you give this game a shot.

Damaged in Transit is available via Steam and Itch.io.

Watch the official trailer for Damaged In Transit below: