Kosmonavtes: Academy Escape

Kosmonavtes: Academy Escape is the second installment in the Kosmonavtes series and picks up the story immediately after the ending of the previous game: after joining the Kosmonavtes academy, Vala starts her training as the newest cadet and now has to prove her worth to her teammates by undergoing a new series of trials.
The game keeps the same structure as the previous title (8 chapters of 2 scenes each), but the puzzles are much more complex this time and there are more iterations needed in order to solve them. Some of the puzzles are fun to solve, even with an increased difficulty, but most of the time the clues you need are very small details in the environment and extremely unintuitive, even for this genre which is sometimes known to demand illogical puzzles from their players. In comparison to the first game, Kosmonavtes: Academy Escape's gameplay is much more frustrating, tedious at times because these clues are too abstract, and what you need to do to solve the chapter is often confusing. There is still an in-game hint system but it doesn't give you as many details as in the first game, nor a solution, thus letting you struggle alone with a puzzle. I don't usually give up in front of a challenge, yet in Kosmonavtes: Academy Escape I had no choice but to skip some puzzles because even after trying different approaches and combinations, the puzzle simply didn't make sense and there was no other indication (as in, a hint) about what was expected from me. It's basically a case of guessing what the developer wants you to do, and if you aren't a born mind reader, then your only resort is skipping the puzzle.
Kosmonavtes: Academy Escape is one of those cases in which I'd like to have a "Neutral" review option. While the game has nice artwork and some of the puzzles are cleverly designed, the others are just fully irritating. There are minigames that are entertaining and very nice to figure out (for example there's a pretty long sequence in the kitchen, where you have to use futuristic equipment to grow vegetables in the lab then prepare them into dishes and finally arrange them on a tray based on a an Einstein-inspired riddle), but then there are others that simply do not make any sense (like the requirement of arranging the planets around the solar system, yet the graphics of the planets don't really correspond to reality, so it's close to impossible to find out the right ordering). For me, it was a mixed bag of fun and annoyance, but for a person that is not as stingy as me in regards to pressing the Hint / Skip button, the game might as well be a nice experience. Plus, it has easy achievements that trigger even if you skip the minigames.
More reviews on the Lilly's Corner Curator page

Fun escape room game. A couple of the solutions are very odd, but the game does allow you to have a hint if you cannot find an item/solution. Interesting storyline, and very pretty backgrounds and graphics.

This is an adventure game with interesting characters, colorful art, and bright music. As elementary as the previews look, I recommend this for those who like a real challenge.
.There is no change in the cursor over hot spots or items to pick up.
.hint system - graduated hints.
.skip button available in most games
Too often the clues were too obtuse for me. Some people will like that, some will get frustrated. Look up, down & all around for clues. They are on the walls, ceilings, under rugs, in nature, etc. Then you must string the clues together to get a solution.
There is not an abundance of instructions, sometimes none at all. One example is when you're supposed to cook from a menu, but there is no recipe. Many times you're thrown into a situation with no idea how to proceed. You must click on everything to get the ball rolling. I felt logic was missing a lot.
If you want to feel like a bare-naked babe thrown in the woods without a compass, this is for you.