The Puzzle Maker: Cebba’s Odyssey

Delightful puzzle game that is easy to pick up but quickly becomes challenging in all the right ways. This game has all the markings of an addicting puzzle game: difficulty scaling that is constantly stimulating and challenging the player, great music, delightful visuals... It's got everything a puzzle game enjoyer wants, and all at an affordable price.

I've been playing various pre-release versions of this game, all the way up until it's launch today, so I'm excited to share my feedback now that it's live. As a note, I'm a gamer who mostly plays FPS games, so the puzzle genre is a fairly new breed for me.
The general mechanics of the game are simple, which I actually think is a plus here. You click to select or unselect characters, which lets you move them or activate their abilities. But where the game gets interesting is in its introduction of new allies and enemies, each bringing a unique ability to the table. As levels progress, the combinations of attack, defense, manipulation, and sacrifice of both allies and enemies required to complete the level turns this into a cool chess-like experience. I’d say that element is also what keeps it from getting repetitive, which I have experienced in a few other puzzle games.
The game does a good job at managing the increasing complexity of having several character “types”. Each time a character is introduced, you usually get to play a simple level to work out its mechanics. By the 2nd or 3rd level of each new character, you’re often well on your way to solving more complex puzzles. I'd say overall the balance between easy to difficult varies nicely (I’ve only skipped maybe 1 or 2 levels due to difficulty out of the 75+ I’ve played).
Some smaller details that made this game more meditative for me is that there’s no time limit, the music is soothing (almost becomes background melody), and the storyline breaks the gameplay up (I liked that you can also skip the storyline if you just care about the gameplay).
Overall, the experience has been positive. I still need to try their puzzle editor so I can make custom levels and share them with friends - and hopefully frustrating them a bit lol...

Fine puzzle game with an accessible skip button if you find something too difficult.
You play as a challenger who approaches a famed puzzle maker. Her offer is simple: beat all of her puzzles to win her title and become the next puzzle champion. The story is told through the puzzles and follows the puzzle maker's life. It’s very bland and uninteresting because it only serves as a way to introduce new enemies and traps.
The gameplay is easy to understand. All you have to do is defeat all enemy with your units. This is accomplished by clicking on heroes and executing movements and actions. Depending on the unit, an action may be offensive or supportive. Movement and action do not have to be executed simultaneously, so you can move one unit, conduct an action with another, and then return to the first unit to attack. If you make a mistake, you may immediately correct it with the handy undo button.
Puzzles are solved by using units’ capabilities. For example, your first unit, the knight, causes damage and pushes objects. This might be a rock used to fill a deadly hole or another unit. Despite taking damage, such unit gets a free action and moves one tile closer to its target. Then there is a very significant cleric. It cannot attack, but it can recover the unit is actions.
The remaining units are introduced on a regular and individual basis so that you may become familiar with their capabilities. The options is rather basic, including archers with ranged attacks, rogues that move two tiles and deal extra damage while attacking from behind, and wizards with teleportation abilities.
Although it appears to be turn-based combat, you only have one "turn" to defeat all enemies and complete the puzzle. This means that once a unit has completed both movement and action, it becomes inactive and cannot be used again. Of course, unless you have a cleric restore its actions.
A puzzle may contain various enemies and more or less valuable objects. In addition to pushable rocks, there are explosive bombs, harmless pushers that push units, claws that grip and drag you, spikes, and more surprises. The same is true for enemies. Scenarios begin with an innocuous slime that simply sits there, but you quickly meet shooting flowers and stronger ogres that withstand more damage.
Because puzzles can be quite tricky, a hint appears after you have spent some time solving one. It is only one short sentence, yet it frequently helps you discover the starting point. If you find a puzzle too difficult, you can skip it without consequence. You can always return to it from the main menu.
The sole critique is that all achievements are broken. The notice appears in the game, but they do not unlock on Steam.

This game is what I've always wanted from indie games - wonderful and a well executed idea. The puzzles are smart, the UX is fantastic (really, everything works and behaves just how I want it to) and in general it's an amazingly polished experience.
There is just enough "lore" to keep me hooked but the developer knows what the game strengths are and doesn't try to input epic story of huge heroes or anything like that.
Just a chill, polished and smart indie game. Highly recommended.

This is a puzzle game on a grid based map. The player can try unlimited times to solve a puzzle and there is only 1 solution for each puzzle. There are over 200 levels to solve and a Steam demo if players want to try the game.
- There are 2 hints available on each level if you need help. After reading the second tip, there should be enough information to figure out the puzzle. If you cannot figure out a puzzle, you can skip after a few failed attempts.
- Each character has 1 movement and action per turn. However, there is a unit introduced later that gives an additional action.
Pros:
- Each new character adds new abilities to the level. As you reach harder levels, the player needs to use all the abilities to solve the puzzle.
- Undo and reset buttons allow you to quickly retry a level.
- There is a level editor to create and test your own puzzles. It is unlocked after completing the grassland area.
- Most of the puzzles can be completed in 5-10 minutes, so this game can be conveniently played during a lunch break.
Cons:
- None that I can think of.
Suggestions:
- Add solutions for each puzzle on Youtube. Another way is to give the player tokens. After completing 5 puzzles, you get a token for a puzzle solution.
- Allow player to take video replay or screenshots of a puzzle attempt. This will make it easier for the player to find their error without redoing the puzzle from the beginning.
Conclusion:
A satisfying puzzle game that tests your puzzle skills. After solving a puzzle, the player gets this a-ha moment. The puzzles range from easy to hard difficulty and there is a skip option if you are stuck. I even messaged the developer on Discord for help and they provided a video with the solution. Highly recommended for players that enjoy puzzle games.
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Simply idea, executed well.
The Puzzle Maker is what it is - puzzles. Its all about learning to use your pieces as best as you can to complete the level. The combat is minimal and a bit of flavour.
Works well on Steam Deck.
(one small issue to improve performance would be to creator map boundaries, as it is possible to navigate your cursor off the map forever... and it will take forever to come back).
Played at default @ 60fps on 5 watts.
More Steam Deck reviews here:

The Puzzle Maker: Cebba's Odyssey is an engaging and captivating puzzle game that strikes a great balance between challenge and enjoyment. The puzzles are thoughtfully designed, requiring strategic thinking and careful planning as you guide different units through increasingly complex levels.
One of the standout features is how polished and easy to pick up the game is. Whether you’re looking for a focused experience or something to enjoy while watching TV, it’s smooth and accessible with a well-tuned learning curve.
The built-in hints system is especially well-executed. It offers helpful nudges when you’re stuck without giving away the entire solution, pointing you in the right direction without spoiling the puzzle's challenge. It’s a great balance that keeps you engaged without feeling frustrated.
Overall, Cebba’s Odyssey is a well-designed, enjoyable puzzle game with plenty of depth. If you enjoy strategic puzzles, it’s definitely worth diving into!