Semblance is one adorable puzzle platformer

The Flubber game I didn’t know I wanted

In between my meetings at PAX East I spent my spare time walking the floor looking for any games that might otherwise go unnoticed. After finishing up my meeting with the developers of Black Future ’88, I ended up checking out another game nearby. 

The game from South African studio Nyamakop is called Semblance, and its art immediately reminded me of LocoRoco, which was more than enough to pull me in. I got to chatting with one of the developers, Ben Myres, about the project’s origins and what sets it apart from other platformers. 

In Semblance, everything including the player character is made of a playdough-like material. You can deform and reshape platforms, the ground, and your own body to solve puzzles. You can get underneath platforms and bash them with your head to form inclines or redirect otherwise deadly projectiles. 

According to Ben, Semblance started as a student project back in 2015. After a lot of work and some internal encouragement, the small team of only five decided to turn the project into a full-fledged title. 

Since that time Semblance has clearly come a long way. The controls feel tight and the art looks amazing. I got to make my way through about three levels with some helpful hints from Ben and I’m looking forward to playing more.

Semblance is coming to PC, Mac, and Switch later this year.