Cozy games have a distinct vibe to them. Sometimes, they are forced and feel unnatural, but other times, they hit the spot immediately. Enter The Lullaby of Life, a cozy puzzle adventure game developed by 1-Simple Games based out of Mexico. The game will take you to the beginning of the universe as you explore and use sound waves to solve puzzles. Suffice it to say the journey is a relaxed and enjoyable one.
Developer & Publisher // 1-Simple Games, Midwest Games
Platforms // iOS, Apple Arcade, PC
MSRP & Release Date // $14.99, April 30th, 2024
Reviewed On // PC
Relaxing Gameplay
The crux of The Lullaby of Life is its timing-based sound wave puzzles. Players solve these puzzles by inputting the correct sound wave to the matched sequence. Each level will also see the cell to awaken companions that expand different soundwaves to use in more challenging puzzles. Sounds simple enough, but the brilliant aspect of the game is that it progressively gets more challenging. Best of all, there’s minimum handholding, leaving players to figure it out on their own, which was honestly refreshing. Especially since the industry has been indulging in overly guiding players. God of War Ragnarok, was guilty of extreme hand-holding, particularly when Atreus would blurt out puzzle solutions.
Puzzles do get more intricate as well. Some puzzles require your soundwaves to travel through what looks like wire to reach different points. Moreover, some of your companions will have secondary soundwaves that activate in specific sequences. There are also pressure points used to activate gates as well. All in all, the puzzles are well thought out, diverse, and the later ones do get challenging, but without any frustration involved.
Overall, my review playthrough took around less than four hours, while playing at a leisurely rate. There are also a few collectibles in each of the six levels, if someone has that completionist bug within them they will definitely find reasons to replay.
Some Bumps on the Relaxed Road
However, not everything was as cozy as it seems. There are escape sequences that will have you racing from light source to light source to evade dark matters that chase you. Additionally, in one of the later stages, the entire level was spinning viciously, which caused me to get immense motion sickness for a little bit. But other than that, The Lullaby of Life was a tremendous journey from start to finish.
Accessibility is Key in The Lullaby of Life
The Lullaby of Life also has a lot of accessibility baked into the puzzles to ensure more people can enjoy the game. More specifically, the puzzle and related mechanics are purposefully designed with sound and visual cues – the sound wave symbols and colors – to ensure the game is accessible to all players.
Pleasant Graphics and Performance
To say The Lullaby of Life is beautiful is quite an understatement. Because no matter how I describe it, nothing can match the exquisite and serene art style the game eloquently achieves in motion. From the squishy-looking cells to the cavernous passages and interplanetary routes, they all resonate with bright and luminous colors. Especially the large spherical entities you meet at the end of stages. They looked both impressive and imposing simultaneously. Once you solve the level’s final puzzle, a beautiful crescendo takes over the screen, which is a suitable end to levels.
There were no performance issues to note. The game ran flawlessly without any noticeable hiccups.
Spectacular Audio Design
By far the strongest aspect of The Lullaby of Life is its audio design. Since the gameplay revolves around sound waves that the cell produces, the audio design has to be on point. Luckily, it is and it even exceeds all expectations. From the quaint and cozy soundtrack to the harmonious and bubbly sound effects the cell and its followers produce, everything about The Lullaby of Life eschews coziness. To add, the game gives off those stellar indie game vibes that other standouts also managed to achieve.
Final Thoughts on The Lullaby of Life
The Lullaby of Life exemplifies everything that a cozy and relaxed game should be. The art style and sound design are impeccable, and the difficulty curve is gradual and well-designed. Best of all, the game doesn’t hold your hand and lets you figure it out on your own. Dare I say, The Lullaby of Life is one of 2024’s coziest games.
Note – A key was provided for the purpose of this review.
