BONFIRE PEAKS

Developer Corey Martin Publisher Draknek & Friends Format PC, PS4, PS5, Switch

Corey Martin’s Sokoban-style puzzler would be one of the most elegant of its kind in years even without the autumnal, introverted mood – supplied in no small part by Martin’s own score – that makes it so distinctive. In some respects, Martin is operating in a familiar register: his previous game, Hiding Spot, was about boxing yourself in as a coping mechanism for stress or trauma. This, however, is more about exorcising the past. As you deposit a crate of your possessions on a pyre, it produces wisps of smoke that resemble ghosts, the camera quietly pulling back as if to give this man room to process what he’s just done.

You need plenty of time to contemplate the matter at hand yourself, not so much to think about why you’re burning your things as how to reach the pyre at all. Still, Bonfire Peaks isn’t as difficult as it might seem at first – and with the option to rewind as many steps as you like without penalty, you’re encouraged to keep trying. All the while, the soothing music lulls you into a sombre reverie, suppressing any frustrations that might otherwise surface. And it’s smartly structured to ensure you needn’t complete every puzzle in a set: the boxes you recover from each form steps to fresh challenges, and only the toughest optional tests demand you pile them high.

Despite its languid pace, then, there is a palpable sense of momentum as you climb through dark woodland to a snowy mountaintop. That pinnacle isn’t the only point at which you’re encouraged to rest and reflect: tap a button and your avatar sits, as if to give his weary limbs a break before continuing his steady, determined ascent. Responsible for more late bedtimes this year than any other game, Bonfire Peaks is a slow burner in every sense, carrying itself with a serene grace that belies the clumsiness of our own faltering steps toward the fire.