Written: 2026 July 6
Rating: 4/5
I have reached the good ending of bean and nothingness. This is a unique puzzler that derives complexity from numerous monsters. Mechanically speaking, each monster is quite complex, and so it incentivizes the player to experiment to learn about the intricacies of how each one operates. However, only some of the levels have the space and relevant resources to allow such experimentation. Each level is given a difficulty rating from 1 to 5. To me, the sweetspot for difficulty are the 1's, 2's, and 3's. 4's and 5's can be enjoyable as well, but also can take multiple hours to work through. Some of them require rather specific timing setups (at least for my solution) in order to function, which is not satisfying for me. That brings me to kuroyama's rainbow, a particular level that I found to be a standout level. I wish there were more levels like this one, where you are given a system and tasked to break it in whatever way you like.
The goal-state of every single level is extremely straight forward. Just move onto the goal tile. But going back just one or two steps leads to the roadblocks in every puzzle. For example: the goal tile is behind a block that can be destroyed by a certain monster. However, the crux of the puzzle is maneuvering beans or the monster around so that the block can be destroyed. So, the puzzle design heavily favors backwards thinking. "What is the goal of this puzzle?" "How can I arrange things so that I end up at the goal-state?"
The final boss level is quite possibly the most intimidating single puzzle I've ever encountered in all of the puzzle games that I've played. Not only is it huge, but each individual section of it is on par with the hardest levels that have come before it. It's akin to solving multiple of the hardest levels intertwined together into one insane level. Solving it finally, after several days of working on it, was extremely satisfying. It also feels a bit like kuroyama's rainbow, in that there are certain "systems" in the level and with creative thinking you can end up breaking the entire level open.
However, I do have some criticisms:
1) The problem with such a big boss is that there ends up being quite a bit of walking around and undo-ing. I'd say I'm usually on the patient side and willing to wait around for mundane things like this, but due to the sheer size of the final level even I got irritated by the length of holding down the undo key.
2) A decent number of levels have added noise or otherwise useless-appearing "things" in the level, probably designed as an anti-cheese mechanism to prevent a certain unintended solution, but can sometimes lead to spending a lot of time pondering about something that is essentially a red herring.
3) This one is fundamental to how the game works mechanically. With multiple entities able to move at the same time, you have to learn the priority of how they interact when they try and move onto the same square. This, is very much just something you have to internalize as you play. There is no reasonable thematic tie-in to help remember priorities, you just have to know.
Overall, I would recommend this to puzzle enjoyers that don't mind my criticisms above. Those less familiar with the genre will probably struggle, because it is quite difficult.