FRACTER, originally releasing on mobile platforms in 2018, makes it’s way to the Nintendo Switch, this week. This unique puzzle game has you follow a young hero who is determined to fight back against darkness, with light. Thanks to the dope folks over at The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild, I was able to get an early look.

STORY | SILENCE IS GOLDEN

The story is told in a special way. There is no spoken dialogue. The only dialogue you will see are the mysterious texts that appear on your screen, usually before and after you clear each puzzle. Other than that, the story is mostly told through the actions of the hero. It’s a really neat touch that keeps you interested. This type of story telling is captivating to me, and gives the world building aspect a bit of flair.

GRAPHICS | AESTHETICALLY PLEASING

FRACTER features some simple yet, alluring, graphics. The black and white aesthetic is pleasing to the eye and really helps the game achieve the haunting atmosphere FRACTER is aiming for.

SOUND | HAUNTING, YET DELIGHTFUL

Sound is delightfully done. Very atmospheric and haunting, to say the least. The soundtrack is enough to give you a few chills as you trek your way though the puzzles, but it does not fail to get your blood rushing after you are spotted by a creature. It’s a very quick drum build up that will trigger your fight or flight. In this case, you should run for your life.

CONTROLS | SATISFYINGLY SIMPLE

As mentioned before, this was originally a mobile game. 4L Games did an excellent job in making sure FRACTER would work well with a controller. For example, to get through each puzzle in the game, you will use the right stick to guide the cursor to the object you need to alter. To select the object, you press ZR and use the analogue stick to adjust the puzzle. It’s a well designed control scheme to use as you make your way from puzzle to puzzle.

IN CONCLUSION

FRACTER is a unique game that is worth experiencing. I’ve had an enjoyable time with my playthrough so far. It’s fairly short and a perfect spooky game to play in the month of October.

FRACTER will be available in the Nintendo eShop on October 22nd. For more on FRACTER, check out my first 13 minutes of gameplay below.