Arranger Preview: Legend of Zelda meets Braid

Steam Next FEST SUMMER 2024

Arranger Preview

Truly unique puzzle games are a rare species. When it comes to games that break the mold and think differently, games like Braid, Witness, Portal, and even more recent entries like Viewfinder and Cocoon come to mind. The puzzle genre brings an experience like this around once every year or two and the next game that will likely be finding its way into this group is Arranger from Furniture and Mattress.

Arranger also has a deeper connection with some of the other games on this list other than its excellent ability to think outside the box. The lead artist on Arranger was also the lead artist on Braid, which is why they share a striking resemblance.

Arranger feels like a retro Zelda adventure, but the world is a grid and the grid moves with you. What makes the game unique is trying to figure out how to manipulate the environment to help you solve puzzles, find keys, and even defeat enemies during your adventure.

The concept of Arranger could easily become overwhelming and frustrating, but the world is broken down into screen size chunks that mitigate these concerns. Arranger does what all good puzzle games must do and its make the puzzles hard enough, but within grasp as finding the solution provides that same aha feeling as so many games on this list. That spike of dopamine is what makes all of these games so addictive and Arranger strikes this balance perfectly.

As for the story, it gives Celeste vibes with a journey of self discovery. As someone who never felt like they truly belonged and is treated like a misfit in the town, the adventure begins by deciding to leave in search of an identity in a world full of danger.

Arranger does feature some combat and bosses in our preview, but it still remains true to the core of the game. The focus is always on rearranging the tiles in ways to damage your enemies. There is no timer or health bars, which keeps the focus on the core gameplay mechanic in a good way.

Arranger is a perfect fit for handhelds like Steam Deck and Switch, but based on the preview, it’s an even better fit to be mentioned alongside these other puzzling game icons.