Meridian 157: Chapter 1 12+

This game has all the right elements: The story is intriguing, the locations are mysterious and eerie, and the puzzles (for the most part) are difficult but not impossible. I really like the way everything is arranged. Most of the time you can figure out what to do next based on the items you collect, and although you do have to do a majority of the puzzles in a specific order, the game lets you explore quite a bit before you’re stopped by a locked door or a blocked passageway.
I only have a few critiques:
-sometimes the controls are a bit off. A couple times I spent ages going in circles before realizing I hadn’t tapped the location exactly right to place an object.
-a few of the puzzles don’t have any kind of rubric or a key or an explanation for to how to solve them. I like a challenge but I don’t like it when there’s zero guidance or it’s just random and you have to do hit and miss tactics
-the music is good but it gets repetitive. I don’t mind the more mysterious techno inspired song that plays every other cycle in the first part, or the second score after the first act, (after fixing the elevator) but the sad tune that plays on rotation throughout the whole first act, with the violins/cellos, is way too somber and irritating for me

Other than those minor issues, I love this game.

A wonderful offering from a new developer. This game has it all - the graphics, the puzzles, the story, the mood, the smooth gameplay - everything that makes up a really good game. The prologue to this game was great (go play it if you haven’t done that yet!) and this chapter did not disappoint. I did have trouble with a puzzle or two - didn’t find them entirely logical - and the hints didn’t really help, but maybe that’s just me. Either way, the game is so good that it didn’t spoil the fun and I was able to find a walkthrough. My only suggestion would be to make it possible to toggle between hints on and hints off within the game. Other than those little things, this is a substantially good game and NovaSoft looks like it’s on track to become one of the top developers in the beloved escape genre. Looking forward to the next chapter!!

This is for you if you love the genre of point & click adventure puzzlers, or complex room escape games. This game is released chapter by chapter but it is worth the money due to the quality and complexity.
Play the free Prelude first, then Chapter 1 (this game) then on to chapter 2.
There has only been one puzzle I’ve needed help with - that was in the prelude and had to do with how to interpret a clue on the back of a flag. Everything in Chapter 1 is challenging but not frustrating - if you think about it for a bit, you can do it - although if you do get stumped there is an in-game hint system that provides hints and then offers to let you skip a puzzle if you wish.
All in all, a great game. Eagerly looking forward to Chapter 2!