GNOG

GNOG is an artistic fever dream that oozes imagination; it is equal parts delightful and bizarre.

Bizarre, abstract, and completely beautiful. GNOG’s puzzles aren’t difficult but they are strangely entrancing, especially in VR.

More a nifty little virtual reality experience than a game but with an almost overwhelming amount of charm, GNOG is delightful. While it by no means feels like a full-sized title, that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun. It may not take you too long to see all that it has to offer, but it's still an absolutely beautiful game that you’ll want to get lost in.

GNOG is the video game equivalent of synesthesia. The bright colors are incredible, the simple, but disgustingly clever, puzzles are perfectly designed, and the experience inside the headset is wonderfully presented. However, it’s just such a bizarre and simple game, without anything new to really help it stand out. That it isn’t for everyone. But if you love gorgeous, modern art-style puzzle experiences that challenge your mind, then GNOG could be just your kind of weird.

GNOG is an incredibly well presented VR experience with the audio and visuals combining perfectly. It’s easy to get into and enjoyable for the entirety of its short length, though it’s lacking a little in the gameplay department.

GNOG is a curious beast; an odd monster, or series of monsters rather. It’s a visual and auditory treat, with bright colors and rich soundscapes highlighting a bizarre game that doesn’t seem to really have much direction or purpose. The puzzles are fun to poke, prod, and figure out, particularly in VR where each puzzle diorama head really has a chance to come to life in front of you, but the sense of wonder GNOG tries to invoke fades too quickly, leaving me with the feeling that this is more a sensory artifice than it is a digital Rubik’s Cube.

With just a handful of puzzles it'll also be over in no time, so it's best if you just take your time and take in all of the sights and sounds while you can.

GNOG is a sight to behold in virtual reality, but when that spectacle is taken away it becomes an incredibly charming, yet non-spectacular, puzzle game. The audiovisual experience trumps the puzzle design, and there’s not enough complexity for any real eureka moments to occur. KO_OP has made a game that’ll keep the player’s attention for the two hours it lasts, but one that fails to make any sort of lasting impact.