The Wand

The Wand revolves around a single core mechanic that the game never runs out of creative ways to use. You have a wand with three colored sections you can set to different combinations. Each combination has a different effect, like one puts out fires while another acts as a magnifying glass. You have to find these different combinations and use them to solve puzzles and reach the castle's tower. Not all of the combinations are spelled out for you: some require piecing together multiple clues. Figuring out one and seeing what it did always feels rewarding, especially when you know exactly what you can use it on.

Another important aspect of the game is that you can't touch anything in the rooms, so the wand is the only item you're allowed to handle. It helps streamline the game and makes your thought process always involve figuring out what to do with the spells you have, or figuring out where to find new ones. The final puzzle really brings everything together.

You might have picked up on there being more to this game than it seems. (Spoiler - click to show)Replaying it and using one of the endgame skills opens up a much more difficult extra quest, which is awesome, since it pushes the wand mechanic even further while letting you use all the knowledge you gained on your first run. The game deserves all of its praise, and if you want a fair puzzler to sit down with and take notes on, this is a great choice.