{"id":191405,"date":"2022-05-23T11:43:03","date_gmt":"2022-05-23T09:43:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=191405"},"modified":"2025-07-01T20:44:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T03:44:22","slug":"recursive-ruin-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/recursive-ruin-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Recursive Ruin review | Kaleidoscopic puzzle journey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Recursive Ruin is a kaleidoscopic puzzle adventure<\/strong> from a first-person perspective. Bit Riot developed it, with Iceberg Interactive releasing it on May 18, 2022. It takes you on a journey of an artist who\u2019s coming to terms with some grief that\u2019s entered his life. When he enters Infinite Realms, he has the chance to save the immersive world and himself.<\/p>\n\n\n

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You can play a free demo of Recursive Ruin<\/strong> to get a taste of what it\u2019s like. In this review, I\u2019ll explain the full extent of the game, what the puzzle elements are like, and how much I enjoyed the mechanics and visuals. Stay tuned for an exciting adventure into another universe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recursive Ruin presents an immersive story<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The basis of Recursive Ruin delivers an intense and immersive story<\/strong> that will pull at your heartstrings. Within the many puzzles and worlds, you\u2019ll unlock memories and reasons<\/strong> for the character\u2019s grief<\/strong>. Here\u2019s my review of the story elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memories of a dark past<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You begin your Recursive Ruin journey in an apartment with a massive television, furniture, and an assortment of odds and ends. As you move around in the first-person perspective<\/strong>, you\u2019ll see small icons for items you can inspect. When you click on them, your character tells you interesting information about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems there are some memories you\u2019d like to keep hidden. There\u2019s a panel on the wall that unlocks them<\/strong> in bits and pieces between levels. As you open them, you realize how much pain and grief the main character has had to deal with in his life. It\u2019s a sad tale, but I won\u2019t spoil it for you here. The main warning I want to provide is that the memories contain sensitive content<\/strong> that not everyone will enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Recursive<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Entering and escaping the Infinite Realms<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When the time is right, you can play the game Recursive Ruin on your television. It\u2019s a game within a game mechanic<\/strong> that I enjoyed. It\u2019s almost like a virtual reality realm<\/strong>, but it feels like you\u2019re in a different universe that\u2019s real and not a game. As soon as you complete a level, you return to your apartment to explore your memories again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Recursive<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Saving the world from Ichor<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It appears as though the place known as Infinite Realms<\/strong> needs your help<\/strong>. There\u2019s an entity called Ichor that is destroying reality as we know it. Much like your fragile mind, you\u2019ll need to put the pieces back together and solve the puzzles to make everything right again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Recursive<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Speaking to your cat<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll notice a small wooden home for a cat called Behemoth<\/strong> in your apartment. Surprisingly, he speaks to you<\/strong>, sometimes in deep tones. While shrouded in mystery in the beginning, chatting to him will help you unravel your mind and the secrets of Infinite Realms. I quite enjoyed the conversations we had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Recursive<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

How long to play Recursive Ruin  <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The gameplay length for Recursive Ruin depends on how quickly you can solve the puzzles. Once you have the hang of it, it can take you about 6 to 8 hours<\/strong> to complete. The main menu has the option to select levels to play them again if you wish, but it won\u2019t reduce the overall game time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interactive mechanics of Recursive Ruin<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve only mentioned the story elements for my Recursive Ruin above without spoiling the actual plot for you. There\u2019s a lot to uncover, but I\u2019d like to leave you with the chance of doing so. For now, here\u2019s an overview of what it was like playing the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning how the puzzles work in Recursive Ruin<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Recursive Ruin has an engaging way of showing you how the puzzles work<\/strong>. Not only will it show you the controls when new mechanics appear, but some of the NPCs will also guide you<\/strong>. If you get stuck along the way, an information panel <\/strong>appears on a surface nearby to give you a hint<\/strong>. It\u2019s an outstanding way for you to choose if you want a clue or decide to solve the puzzle without one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I love the way Recursive Ruin lays out its puzzles<\/strong>. You won\u2019t find small items to move around and place in other objects. Instead, the entire world at that level is a puzzle, and you\u2019ll need to find creative ways to reach new areas and engage with items. It\u2019s similar to how Mirror Forge<\/strong><\/a> and Myst V: End of Ages<\/a> <\/strong>play out, where the whole stage is a puzzle.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Recursive<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Expanding and collapsing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the first puzzle mechanics<\/strong> you\u2019ll find in Recursive Ruin is expanding and collapsing<\/strong>. Basically, it\u2019s like breathing in and out, but on a planetary scale. When you expand, the world breaks apart and grows outwards, while collapsing brings it back in.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’ll need to experiment with this foundation<\/strong> if you want to succeed and enter new areas. It\u2019s like breaking apart a Rubic\u2019s Cube and putting it back together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Recursive<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Growing and shrinking<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not only the world that can expand and collapse. Recursive Ruin has smaller openings you\u2019ll need to enter, so you\u2019ll need to shrink <\/strong>at those points. When you\u2019ve made it through to the other side, you can grow to your standard height to continue the adventure. It adds a new dynamic to the puzzle game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Recursive<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Clues of where to go next in Recursive Ruin<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You won\u2019t feel completed deserted in the complex arenas. For the most part, you\u2019ll have slight clues about where to go next<\/strong>. One of the levels had a red line that I followed until I reached an object where I needed to place a block. When I completed that goal, the line became gold.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Recursive<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Interacting with NPCs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll find NPCs<\/strong> along the way in Recursive Ruin. While they spend quite a bit of time telling you about Infinite Realms and Ichor<\/strong>, there are also moments where they give you hints<\/strong> of what they expect of you. I enjoyed the storytelling moments when engaging with them, and it made me feel like I was a hero in their tale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Recursive<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Linear progression<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll soon realize that there\u2019s only one way to play Recursive Ruin. The progression is ultimately linear<\/strong>, as you\u2019ll follow designated paths towards your goal. If you veer off the path, you\u2019ll either end up dead or in an infinite loop. At least you end up at the last checkpoint when you die, and you don\u2019t need to redo the entire puzzle again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Recursive<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What you\u2019ll need on your PC<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The requirements for playing Recursive Ruin <\/strong>on your PC aren\u2019t excessive. There are only seven levels<\/strong> in the game, but you\u2019ll need a decent amount of memory to display the outstanding graphics. Fortunately, I didn\u2019t come across any performance issues. Here\u2019s a quick summary:<\/p>\n\n\n\n