Koi

This ecological adventure has grand aspirations it never quite manages to achieve. It's clearly aiming to be a beautiful and relaxing game with a serious message and was likely at least partially inspired by ThatGameCompany's poetic Flower. But while Koi successfully achieves a calming atmosphere, it doesn't manage the subtly sophisticated aesthetic, play mechanics, or meaning of its muse.

Early stages set in natural environments have an appealing minimalist appearance, but man-made objects introduced in later stages -- boots, pipes, and gears -- have a decidedly underwhelming cardboard-cutout look that feels a bit cheap. And while swimming around can be fun and even soothing, the puzzles are poorly integrated and a bit jarring when they suddenly lift players out of the pond to begin picking leaves on a branch or spinning mosaic squares. Most problematic, though, is that the message -- pollution is bad for animals -- is simultaneously too blunt and too simplistic. Yes, pollution is bad, but how can we address it? What's the root problem? These ideas are never addressed, leaving players to either feel sorry for the fish or take some solace in the game's rather fantastical conclusion. A more symbolic expression of the same themes would have served Koi better.