Zachtronics' strongest offering

Zachtronics is a company I really love, even though I've never finished any of their games until now.

This game is best described as SpaceChem in hexagons and with a much larger playing field. It's also a lot prettier. Also, instead of chemical reactions based on the real periodic table, it's alchemy based on a set of four elements, six metals, salt and quicksilver. Rather than two (and exactly two) moving pieces working to complete a problem, as in SpaceChem, you're given as many pieces as you like (although fewer = a better score) that have less mobility and can be collided with.

One touch that's really fun is that after you succeed, the game can record a gif of your solution - and the gif is seamless. You better believe I annoyed all my gaming friends with this feature. The gifs are pretty mesmerizing, especially if you manage to find efficient solutions with nonstop movement.

There's no replay value given beyond your own OCD. Once you're done, you can put it down and be satisfied that it's completed - or you can start optimizing and see if you tie the world records. Every player's results are added to a global tally and displayed on each puzzle, and finding your way into that top percentile is really satisfying.

The final effect is that Opus Magnum is a lot easier to dip your toes into than SpaceChem (even though it's arguably way more complex) and I managed to get to the end without getting overly frustrated (the reason I've never finished other Zachtronics games). The idea is really solid, and the story is pretty fun - it starts out with a deeply discontented overachiever disliking his new job as House Alchemist, but it takes a Game of Thrones tone very suddenly - and on the whole, if you like Zachtronics, this is their strongest offering yet.

Word of advice: Try to master keyboard-and-clicking quickly. If you only click and drag, the final levels will be an absolute slog.

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