A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories

Turning traditional education into playable formats has taken a colossal stride recently. We can probably attribute the rise in home learning to that notion. Some games aim to teach children cognitive and learning skills through fluid, clear and concise gameplay. And then there's A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories.

I, for one, cannot even begin to palette what is going on here. The game is a 2D platform that self-describes as an abstract universe that encourages players to use math and logic to solve puzzles and complete the duo protagonists' tale. Yes - that's all fine if the visuals don't make you go blind before you even lift your controller.

Into The Mouth of Chaos We March

Let's start off by saying that the concept is pretty noble here. A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories genuinely comes across as a game trying to teach children advanced math and logic through immersive gameplay. However, the problem is here - I'm not sure many people will have the foundational skills to navigate through this game.

We're dropped into a holistically strange world with visuals that send our senses into chaos. The colors, textures, and assets feel all over the place. Whether that is supposed to fit into the abstract, maths-driven narrative is a question for the ages. But alas, it's your job to bring this torn world back together through your cognitive prowess.

The mechanics of this oddball 2D platform will have you stride through a side-scrolled world as does - yet solve puzzles using tangents, numerical skills, and logic abilities. The puzzles do seem to try and drift you into the difficulty curve slowly - it is apparent where a fair few many will see roadblocks in progression, though.

As strange as A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories is - the saving grace is that it does manage to intrigue the player as to what happens next. There are a plethora of levels to conquer, each diverse and intriguing in its own right. The narrative might not grasp you, but there is enough offered to keep a player set engage the right to the finish.

Take a Number

'A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories' is probably one of those games that will achieve a cult status quickly. There won't be too many casual gamers that will take an initial interest. But those brainy, hardcore players will take on the challenges and revel in their achievements in the oddities that take place.

Pros:

• One of the best attempts to integrate cognitively and learning skill into the gameplay
• Abstract visuals that diversify the gameplay
• Not short of levels to make sure players get a lot of content

Cons:

• Seems to be tailored to a subset of gamers
• Difficulty curve might get frustrating
• The abstract visuals also don't rest well on the eyes