Iris.Fall is a gorgeous puzzle game set inside a monochrome diorama

Black cats get a bad rap, which is why they don’t get adopted as often as other cats, and now we’ve got one leading children into psychedelic gothic dioramas. I’ll try not to hold it against Iris.Fall, however, because gosh does it look lovely.

The puzzle game’s world is a life-sized mechanical model created out of theatre scenery, seemingly transformed by magic. As Iris, players have to explore the weird, monochrome enigma by using light and shadows to solve puzzles. The developer posted a trailer last month, so give it a watch.

Light as a puzzle solution is a wee bit tired, but Iris.Fall seems rather committed to the theme, to the extent that it runs through everything, most notably the striking art. It plays with perspectives, too, with 3D and 2D juxtaposed just like light and shadow. Rather than just turning on or off some lights to reveal something hidden, Iris can use light to pass between different realities.

The story is appropriately a mystery, but Iris will apparently uncover a connection between the weird world and herself—gasp!—while progress in the game “will feel more like the player’s spiritual exploration”. Steady on.

Iris.Fall is out on Steam today, and I made a wee gallery below.

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Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.