Lumo

A little taste of nostalgia can go a long way, and sometimes it's great to pack up your expectations and enjoy a little road trip down memory lane. That's exactly what you get with Lumo, a fun little retro-style isometric puzzler in the vein of old-school games such as Solstice and Marble Madness. The game is a gorgeous-looking title, with a lot of charm and quirkiness not often found these days. The combination of visuals and music works great to create a sort of Zen-like state of calm and peace of mind you'll need when facing the obstacles ahead.

While Lumo is a unique experience and can be a lot of fun, there's also a lot of frustration. The game basically throws you in the deep end of the pool without teaching you how to swim. There's absolutely no tutorial, no in-game directions, no dialogue, or anything else to help you figure out what you're doing. Each of the interlocking rooms is a new case of trial and error as you rack your brain to figure out what you're supposed to be doing. There's no hand-holding here. You're either up to the mental challenge or you're stuck. More maddening are the rooms that require pinpoint precision and timing to advance, which can be a bit awkward to figure out, especially considering the game's isometric view. Despite this, Lumo still offers up a solid, enjoyable brain-teasing experience, filled with plenty of old-school appeal and tongue-in-cheek references to keep you coming back for more.