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About Candela
Candela is a 2D platformer puzzle game from Geminimax, released in 2026 for PC. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, it tasks you with solving color-based puzzles to navigate a decaying landscape. The game blends exploration with environmental challenges, as you manipulate light and color to reveal hidden paths and restore fragments of a ruined world. With a focus on single-player storytelling, it leans into atmospheric design and mechanical creativity. Expect a minimalist art style, methodical puzzle-solving, and a world that feels both desolate and quietly hopeful.
Gameplay
Candela revolves around adjusting colors in the environment to interact with the world. You’ll switch between hues to open doors, activate switches, and reveal platforms, often requiring precise timing and spatial awareness. Platforming sections demand careful jumps and momentum control, while puzzles escalate in complexity by layering color interactions with physics-based mechanics. A typical session involves methodically experimenting with light sources, testing combinations to bypass obstacles. The game avoids combat entirely, focusing instead on discovery and problem-solving. Controls are responsive but demand patience, mistimed jumps or incorrect color choices can force backtracking. Progression hinges on uncovering secrets scattered across the overworld, tying puzzles to a fragmented narrative.
What Players Think
PlayPile community ratings average 8.5/10, with 72% completing the main story. Most sessions last 10, 14 hours, and 43% of players finish all secrets. Moods are split: 68% call it “creative” and “challenging,” while 28% criticize its slow pacing. Review snippets praise the “clever color mechanics” and “haunting visuals” but note some puzzles feel repetitive. Critics on external sites gave it a 79% Metacritic score, calling it “a niche gem for puzzle purists.” Completion rates drop after the mid-game due to increasingly abstract puzzles, though post-game areas reward persistence.
PlayPile's Take
Candela works best for fans of methodical puzzle design and atmospheric exploration. At $29.99, it’s a mid-tier indie with replay value for completionists. The 42 achievements (100% completion unlocks a hidden ending) add incentive for collectors. While not every puzzle hits, the core mechanic remains fresh enough to justify the price. Skip if you dislike slow pacing or abstract challenges. For its target audience, it’s a worthwhile experiment in color and light.
Game Modes
Single player
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