
Their difficulty progress works as you would expect. Green unlock lettered buildings, Yellow unlock new items to use, and Red unlocks new floors in the tower. You collect color-coded “Sigils,” or more colloquially perceived as tetrominoes to unlock new areas and items. Although, the meandering, curious story plays second fiddle to the 100+ puzzles you must complete to roll credits.

Elohim, yourself, and the worlds created take on the struggle of independence and order. Begin as a sentient android running the gamut of trials placed by Elohim, an (almost) all-seeing eye in the sky. In The Talos Principles, Croteam and dual writers of Tom Jubert ( FTL, The Swapper) and Jonas Kyratzes ( Infinite Ocean) accost you with philosophy and puzzles. The Talos Principle exhausts the brain and rewards a high. Whether by design of not, Croteam understands this concept. Challenges of the mind in the purest sense. One side of the spectrum looks to the developing scene of game interaction functioning more as story engagement. Free from physical torment, hypothetically speaking, games spend their time testing players in various ways to supply the rush. That type of addictive aspect in exercise distills in games. You rough out the day-to-day, procedural tasks to build your character in order to reach new heights. The necessary, tedious slog known in experience-based games with any instance of leveling and progression.


Gaming operates in its own version of exercise, grinding. Stick to your goal and you shall be rewarded. That inoperable-looking machine off in the corner evolves to your favorite calorie eraser after time. Your exercise skills and task efficiency increase, struggles validate through health benefits. The hypocritical pain of exercise feels great because you know the euphoric rush of elevated heart rate will earn something. Embrace and endure physical trials to near peak physical fitness. Little rules to work with go out and make yourself sweat, fatigue, and repeat.

Put your body through deliberate hell to return a fitter self. There is no greater manifestation of success in life than exercise, an alluring example of earned reward through hard work and dedication.
