Let's address immediately the elephant in the room: in the department of mechanics and interactivity the game is heavily lacking. It is basically a very short walking simulator with some puzzles that I personally found more frustrating than enjoyable.
I admit I'm not particularly skilled in puzzle games, but I think that they are not designed well enough. More often than not I was clueless because I had no idea of the playing field I was put in: if I'm supposed to think outside of the box, I have to know how big the box is.
Because it is made by an indie company, I assume they cut corners on testing. Indeed despite how short the game is, in my first playthrough I managed to find glitches 2-3 times. Once I even skipped inadvertently a section of the game where a cutscene was supposed to happen. The menu also has some visual glitches.
HOWEVER, there are a few aspects that make this game linger in my mind after the few hours spent in it.
First, the concept of the game is brilliant. A matrioska world where things reproduce at different scale simultaneously is quite amusing.
Then there's the story, which is so touching and vivid I could feel myself in there. As you progress through the game, the levels reflect the stages of the relationship between Kenzie and Micheal, told through their dialogues and their sketches. The actors are so talented (and famous, by the way) and it helps in bringing to life the two characters even though they are never seen. I giggled with them, I grieved with them, I wished for them.
I could breathe the atmosphere of the San Franciscan nights where two souls fall in love, suspended between dream and reality. Which brings me to the last huge plus of the game: music. It's only fitting that an indie company from San Francisco decided to use music mostly of indie musicians from San Francisco. The soundtrack is just brilliant, perfect for the game and very evocative.
So, if you enjoy puzzle games and/or romanticism, this one's for you. Maquette, I think you're alright.
