Reflection of Mine review for PS4, Xbox One, Switch

Reflection of Mine is one of the most surprising games I?ve played this year. Not because it?s shockingly good or anything — though it?s certainly more than passable — but rather, because it?s a Ratalaika release that?s both challenging and long. As much as I?m a fan of the publisher, those aren?t two adjectives I?d usually use to describe their games.

In fact, thinking more broadly, Reflection of Mine is also surprising in that it?s got surprisingly dark subject matter for a puzzle game. It?s the story of a young girl with dissociative identity disorder, and the puzzles represent the fractured pieces of her mind and personality trying to come back together. There?s suicide references very early on, and the whole thing is much more intense than you?d expect from your typical puzzle game.

The gameplay isn?t nearly as shocking or revolutionary, but it still ties in nicely with the subject matter. You?re controlling two characters at the same time, and you need to help both of them avoid the many traps and pitfalls on either side of the screen. It requires you to pay careful attention to everything going on, and you?ll die pretty regularly if and when your attention stays focused too much on one side or the other. There are occasional save points to get you through the harder levels, and you?ll almost certainly need them — since this game gets pretty challenging pretty quickly.

But what stays with you afterwards is how incredibly dark this game gets. That may not be what you want from a puzzle game, but if you?re after that, Reflection of Mine might be right up your alley.

Ratalaika Games provided us with a Reflection of Mine PS4 code for review purposes.