It’s not every day a puzzle game promises an emotional odyssey rather than just another brain-teaser. Orchid of Redemption’s After Light Fades distinguishes itself by fusing handcrafted sokoban challenges with an eloquent meditation on loss and healing. There’s no expository dialogue or vocal narration—just you, shifting objects, and a story told through design. It’s a bold experiment in narrative delivery, and one this genre could use more of.
After Light Fades is organized into five themed “realms,” each representing a stage of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. Rather than text or voiceover, the game delivers its narrative through evolving spatial layouts, color palettes, and the gradual removal of familiar abilities. In Denial, flickering lanterns and half-formed platforms hint at a fractured reality. By the time you reach Acceptance, the environment has transformed into clean, open spaces bathed in morning light.
A concrete example is the “Shattered Hall” in the Denial realm. Here, you guide a spirit across broken tiles that reassemble when you push a glowing orb. The first time you succeed, the broken pieces click together in a short animation that feels like a glimpse of hope—only to shatter again when you acquire your next ability. That mechanic mirrors the cognitive ping-pong of denial, giving you a small win that’s immediately undercut, pushing you deeper into the theme.
Under the surface, After Light Fades retains its sokoban heritage—push the object, reach the goal—but Orchid of Redemption layers in increasingly complex systems:
Each realm introduces one or two new elements, then asks you to master them before the narrative strips them away. In the Anger realm, for instance, you rely heavily on fire mechanics: burning obstacles and forging new bridges. The moment you think you’ve mastered flame puzzles, Orchid of Redemption removes the ember-flinging ability in a mid-realm twist. It’s a gut-punch that underscores the frustration and rage inherent to that stage of grief.
The main campaign comprises over 100 handcrafted puzzles across five worlds. Each world is subdivided into ten core levels plus two optional challenge shrines. The flow is meticulously paced: the first half of each realm teaches your new mechanic using minimalist rooms, then complexity ramps up with multi-step labyrinths that test your newfound skills. Optional levels act as side quests, often tying together multiple mechanics in a single environment—like the “Bargaining Depths,” where you juggle magnet orbs and ice bridges under time pressure.
One standout example is the “Echoing Cathedral” in the Depression stage. You navigate a flooded sanctuary using water-to-ice conversions while shadows of earlier environments loom on the walls. The haunting echoes of your first puzzles play faintly in the background, reminding you how far you’ve come—and how far you might have fallen. That kind of spatial storytelling deepens the emotional resonance.
Fans of GRIS will recognize After Light Fades’ emphasis on visual storytelling and color-driven mood shifts. Like GRIS, you never stop to read dialogue; instead, your emotions are guided by the world’s hues and the mechanics themselves. However, where GRIS focuses on platforming and cinematic flourishes, After Light Fades leans into cerebral puzzle design—more akin to Baba Is You in its logical depth and modular rule systems.
Similarly, Celeste threads narrative themes of self-doubt and perseverance into its platforming. After Light Fades takes a comparable approach by making ability loss part of the story. But while Celeste uses strawberries and optional collectibles to expand its narrative, Orchid of Redemption’s removal of core mechanics feels riskier—and more impactful—because you can’t reclaim those tools in that realm once they’re gone.
One of After Light Fades’ most exciting features is its integrated level editor and Steam Workshop support at launch. As lead designer Alex Chen explains, “We built our editor to be as intuitive as possible—if you can push boxes in our campaign, you can build a world in minutes.” The toolset includes drag-and-drop mechanics, adjustable lighting presets, and even custom script nodes that let creators tie puzzles to reactive environmental changes—like doors that open when a spirit orb crosses a specific threshold.
Early community levels already showcase daring experiments: one creator built a gravity-shift puzzle inspired by VVVVVV, while another uses phased walls that blink in and out of existence. These fan-made tributes not only extend replayability but reinforce the game’s central philosophy: mechanics as emotional storytelling. And with leaderboards for time and move counts, the workshop quickly becomes a proving ground for creative puzzle architects.
At $14.99 on Steam, After Light Fades offers substantial value: a 6–8 hour main campaign, numerous optional challenges, and boundless community content. Its launch-week 10% discount makes the entry price even more appealing. By comparison, Baba Is You launched at $19.99 with a shorter core story and fewer official puzzles—though its workshop arrived later. Here, Orchid of Redemption delivers a robust base game and the tools to keep players engaged for months.
“Our goal was to make every puzzle feel like a page in a journal,” says creative director Maya Ortiz. “When you remove an ability, it’s like turning the page and realizing you’re in a new chapter of your own grief journey.” The team’s “minimum lovable product” approach—strip away extraneous systems, focus on emotionally resonant moments—allowed them to polish each realm until it felt integral to the whole.
If you hunger for puzzles that tug at both brain and heart, this is a must-try. It’s ideal for players who enjoyed the silent artistry of Journey or the thematic depth of GRIS, yet crave the rigorous logic of traditional sokoban. Be warned: some might find the deliberate ability removal frustrating, especially if they’re used to power creep in games. But if you appreciate mechanics that speak to real emotions, and you want tools to craft your own tales, After Light Fades is firing on all cylinders.
After Light Fades isn’t content to be just “one more box-pushing game.” By weaving its puzzles into an emotional narrative arc shaped around grief’s stages, Orchid of Redemption elevates the genre. With deep mechanics, thoughtful level design, and a vibrant community workshop, it stakes a claim as one of the most ambitious puzzle releases in years. Whether you’re a sokoban veteran or a story-driven explorer, there’s a luminous journey waiting beyond the next puzzle piece.
Get access to exclusive strategies, hidden tips, and pro-level insights that we don't share publicly.
Ultimate Gaming Strategy Guide + Weekly Pro Tips