Here’s a very yellow, and rather inventive, adventure game. The award-winning Chants of Sennaar is by indie devs Rundisc, who are based in Toulouse (of France, if you didn’t know it).

It launched in late 2023 on consoles and PC and requires puzzle solving and even language translation. It makes for an intriguing time of it, although its gameplay experience won’t be for everyone. Innit.

Some Jaw-Dropping Puzzles Make Chants of Sennaar a Standout

Similar games to this include Lucas Pope’s Return of the Obra Dinn (2018). However, where Sennaar really stands out is with its translation of a fictional language.

In the game, you take control of the Traveller. The quest is to reunite the Peoples of the Tower and you do this by observing your world and decoding an ancient language. The Peoples no longer speak to each other, so it’s your job to bring back the sociability.

The story is adapted from the Tower of Babel myth in the Book of Genesis, which is a parable about why humans speak different languages.

Here’s how Chants of Sennaar all begins. There’s an introduction to the language system, but it’s really down to you from the start to be being attention.

Now, the language mechanics for the game are incredible.

Some of the puzzles based on the linguistic requirements are just brilliant. Right up there with the likes of the recent Cocoon (2023).

It actually you about a language, you learn it, and put that knowledge to effective use. Pretty mind-blowing and they come thick and fast.

The inventiveness of the puzzles, and your need to document language to help you decipher many of them, is where the game excels.

When it’s on a roll with those bits this game is quite fascinating.

It’s anthropological puzzle solving. However, and as other reviewers have noted, the experience is let down by other parts of the game. More standard puzzle solving is a bit predictable and the stealth genre elements of the game can get annoying.

And the downside to all of it is if you mess up your language note taking, or misread an in-game cue, you’re kind of screwed. On a, “Dang I’ll have to start again from the beginning won’t I?!” kind of level.

That’s frustrating, obviously, and means the game isn’t really one you play for a chilled night-after-a-day-of-work type of casual romp. You need full mental commitment to get the most of the game.

As, again, when it’s on its peaks the thing is superb! It also looks great, with lots of yellow hues and desert-based architectural stuff.

The great music is also by French composer Thomas Brunet, who’s a Music and Sound Design Master’s degree coordinator at La Horde.

Full marks to Rundisc here for trying something bold and imaginative.

Chants of Sennaar doesn’t always deliver on its full potential, but it’s still a very impressive achievement. And a must try if you’re a puzzle game fan.

This is a very clever and engaging title that hits some serious peaks during its 3-5 hour running time. Whilst it’s not for everyone, if you indulge yourself you’ll come out the other side with a greater appreciation for human interaction.