AiliA becomes reality on Steam

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Demo also available for Eastern-flavoured mirror-based puzzle game on Windows PC

Look in the mirror and what do you see? A reversed image of yourself, but still very much YOU, right? Well, that's not the case in AiliA, the newly released puzzler from IceToad Studio, in which adjustable mirrors reflect a similar but entirely different reality instead. 

Ail is a young girl whose "twin sister" Lia has become trapped in a world inside a mirror. (The quotes are the developer's, suggesting that things are perhaps not quite what they seem. Hmm!) In order to find her, Ail must venture inside the mirror world herself, a place where "reality and reflection intertwine." With no special powers of any kind, Ail must now rely on the many mirrors that present themselves in her travels, stepping through them when necessary and "walking on [their] reflections." Of course, there are many obstacles along the way as well, requiring strategic manipulation of these mirrors to succeed in uncovering the "story hidden within the memories of sisters Ail and Lia.

Presented in a charming minimalist art style, AiliA looks and plays much like ustwo's acclaimed Monument Valley series, with a bird's-eye view of self-contained rooms filled with traps and obstacles to overcome. Here, however, they have a distinct Eastern flavour, both visually and musically, and the key to progress is your ability to "move, flip, and rotate mirrors to manipulate the world around you." The reflections within them are "not an illusion, but a fully tangible space: reflected pathways can be walked upon, mechanisms can be activated, and characters can be interacted with," such as a curious little spirit named Oni who will accompany you at times.

At first the challenges start out very basic, but this is described as a "tricky puzzle game" for good reason, as more and more complex trials await throughout its seven "visually distinct stages ... with more than 100 carefully crafted puzzles." For example, you'll encounter scenes that "make use of water reflections and recursive mirror structures" and even "boss encounters that incorporate mirror mechanics." Death is possible but not punishing, as you'll simply be restored to a point just before the fateful moment. And as if reaching the end weren't difficult enough, players will want to keep an eye out for "mirror shards in secret areas with impossible challenges" that shine more light on the twin girls' story.

If you like what you see, you can dive right in as AiliA is available now on Steam, currently with a two-week 20% launch discount. If you'd like a closer first-hand look first, you can do that as well through the playable demo that can be downloaded from Steam and itch.io.