Continuing my search for a game to fill the hole from Outer Wilds, I found ESA. This game is a metroidvania styled after old pixel art games which empathizes with the classic-era difficulty and extremely esoteric puzzles that go deeper than you would expect.

The game is a standard metroidvania at first, and you can beat up to one ending without any of the really obtuse puzzles. But if you stop there, you are missing out on so much more to find. Though I would say the puzzles get a little out of hand at times, it does a good idea of quietly pointing you in the right direction, despite the fact I needed quite a few hints, from just "where haven't you been yet?" and "try to find this specific thing". Some of these secrets really blew my mind with how well they were hidden just under my nose. The map size is somewhat small but this game really makes use of every room it can.

I only had a gripe with a few puzzles that could have been better designed. (in particular, an important secret room whose color doesn't match its surrondings that made it really hard to find later...) and some end-game puzzles that were really vague. Go play it and go blind, it's a great time (though I recognize it might not be for everyone).

Favorite OST track: Spinning Dandelion
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