It’s not often that I’ll review a game and have to fight off my partner; The Pedestrian was one of those games. Let me preface this by saying my partner absolutely LOVES puzzle games. They love puzzle games as much as old ladies love knitting, or moms love zooming in on photos. And almost as soon as they saw this puzzle game, they were sold. I could only complete this review by allowing them to sit next to me and play the game. In contrast, I was merely allowed to control the mouse…
So in case you haven’t picked up on it already, The Pedestrian is a puzzle game with a seriously smooth aesthetic to match. The gameplay takes place across various signs across the world, from street signs to warning signs and even notice boards. You’ll spend your time trying to get your stick person from point A to B to progress.
What truly makes The Pedestrian work well is that the core premise couldn’t be more straightforward, leaving room for the puzzles to be the challenge instead of the controls or the gameplay. As you progress from area to area, the puzzles get progressively more challenging and build on concepts introduced before.
For example, when you first start playing, you’ll find your stick person trapped within a sign, and it’s up to you to move and jump your way to the exit. Your next sign introduces the concept of keys, picking them up and using them to unlock doors. Still pretty simple stuff, but before long, you’ll find yourself in areas with multiple signs you can and must travel between.
It’s now up to you to figure out how to link these multiple signs together to progress. Each progression is slight, never vast enough to leave you feeling confused. Still, each offers just enough challenge to keep the game from becoming stagnant or boring. It’s a game that never leaves you feeling dumb if you stumble at a puzzle but instead rewards you with feeling smart when you’ve solved one.
One of the only issues I had with the game is that something seemingly so perfect for mobile isn’t available for it. I’ve always felt puzzle games work best on a portable device. Puzzle games are best enjoyed while stuck in a waiting room or before a meeting starts, so it’s a pity that The Pedestrian, a game crying to be carried along with me, has to stay in my office.
