Naiad is a beautiful puzzler made by a solo developer under the name HiWarp. In it, you play as Naiad, a river spirit tasked with helping animals as you navigate your way through a series of interconnected rivers on your quest to reach the ocean.
This visually stunning game is spread out over 16 episodes, each in its own biome. For the first six chapters or so, you’re essentially on a lazy river, free to interact with as much or as little as you like. Rarely are any of the puzzles required to progress forward, though the in-game rewards definitely incentivise solving them. It’s an odd difficulty curve, transitioning from nearly a walking simulator into a puzzler proper.
As you progress further and you get closer to humanity, things get bleaker. Pollution is everywhere, muting your singing — your primary means of puzzle-solving and interacting with animals — and slowing your movements. Cleverly, colour saturation in the environment starts to drain too, taking you from vibrant cerulean streams to oil-slicked, refuse-filled sewers.
The puzzles get more complex too, as you have to account for the perils that humanity has wrought upon your previously pristine biome. While the challenge is most welcome after coasting through the early portions, the controls have a tendency to get in the way. Trying to move and sing simultaneously is temperamental, and finding what things you can interact with, and how, is often a head-scratcher.
These negatives are outweighed by the sheer beauty of the title thanks to the incredible use of colour, as well as a relaxing, whimsical soundtrack and sound design. Taken as a whole, Naiad is a title with incredible art and sound as well as something to say, even if the gameplay isn’t always firing on that same level.
