Gaming is many things. Our favorite hobby is fun, frantic, bloody, and often swings wildly between massive frustration and that warm fuzzy feeling we get from succeeding. Gaming, (for most of us,) is very rarely relaxing. In fact, gaming is possibly the most unrelaxing form of relaxation you can participate in next to parachute-less zen sky diving, which is a thing; obviously. One company that has decided that the lot of us need a bloody good chill is Zar21, the makers of VELONE, the game we’ll very definitely be looking at today.
VELONE is due for release next year and is a creative automation game being published by Daedalic Entertainment. This title which has been inspired by the classic Opus Magnum will see you building and programming hydraulic mechanisms in a bid to collect and place valuable Velone stones, restoring power to a civilization in peril. The civilization of which we speak is that of the titular planet Velone. This alien race that makes their home there is in dire peril after a collision with an asteroid has disrupted Velone‘s entire energy supply. The planet is dying as a result of this catastrophe and it’s obviously going to be your job to save it.
VELONE is a game that will require you to use logical thinking to solve mechanical puzzles and find creative ways to program the Velone stones to beat the level. If all goes well you’ll be able to enjoy the rush you get when your constructions execute your plan flawlessly, and everything slots into place in one fluid sense of motion. You’ll also get the bonus of learning more about the planet Velone as you complete each task. Doing well will allow you to learn about this world’s population, society, climate, technology, and more.
So where doe the relaxing aspect of this game come into play? I hear you ask. Well for starters, puzzles can be solved in a myriad of ways. This means that you won’t be banging your head on your keyboard in frustration because you just can’t get beyond that bugger of a level you’re stuck on. Add to this the relaxing nature of the atmosphere that VELONE creates and the fact that your wonderful solution will feel really satisfying to watch and you’ve got a bit of zen in a box. You’ll also have 40 levels to play through so that’ll give you plenty to do and a decent amount of bang for your buck.
VELONE is coming to your PC screens next year but if you fancy a bit of a look in the meantime you can get a first glance at the game here. There’s a trailer too so you’ve got no reason not to push play on that thingy at the bottom of this page and wet the proverbial whistle. Well go on then, have a look!
