I’m a sucker for a very specific sub-genre of game. That being games that are about the enjoyment that comes from just tinkering with something colorful and imaginative. Games like developer Funomena’s Luna and Ko_Op’s GNOG. These are titles that hone in on the inherent interactive and audio-visual element of games to make an enjoyable experience. Vignettes, a short puzzler about playing with bright objects and perspective to make discoveries, is a game with that same spirit that still stands out on its own.
At its heart Vignettes is a game about finding what’s hidden in plain sight. With cute designs and colors that pop, you must rotate a collection of 3D objects that are part of a greater collection of objects. To discover missing items you must rotate the items you have and see them from a new perspective to get them to transform to something entirely new. What was once a goblet may then transform into a birdcage if you finesse it for long enough. A knight chess piece suddenly becomes a trumpet if seen from the right angle. Of course, it would be a shame if you could only see and not play around with these creative toys, so thankfully many of these objects are interactable. The way they react to you poking around creates moments of brief childlike wonder and fun.
That’s really where the fun in Vignettes come from. It’s in fully taking in the sights, sounds, and fiddling with it. Of course that being said, that’s not going to be for everyone. I would say the same for some of the games it reminds me of. While messing around with a game filled with bright hot pinks and blues is very much a good time for me, I can also see folks being confused by it.
At the time of playing Vignettes, my life is very hectic and stressful, I don’t really have the time to take for myself. So sitting down and just indulging in the video game equivalent of candy, was a good ol’ time for me. It’s not a taste that’s going to go down well for some, but if Vignettes even vaguely sounds like something you might be into, it’s certainly a treat worth seeking out.
This game was played on PC with a Steam code provided by a PR representative of the title
