Access Denied
Genres: Puzzle, Sci-Fi
Play modes: singleplayer
Release Date: 16-12-2016
Developer: Stately Snail
Our verdict
7/10
- Difficulty: Easy
- Players: 1
- Playtime: 1–2 h
Access Denied from Stately Snail is a compact single-player puzzle game about cracking 36 locked mechanical boxes, framed by a light cyberpunk story about a professional safecracker. Each level is one box to turn over and probe until it opens. It suits players who want a cheap, bite-sized brain teaser rather than a full escape-room adventure.
Reception is decent but not glowing: about three in four of its 237 Steam reviews are positive, and players tag it as casual far more often than as hard. The one written review available finished the whole set in roughly an hour and found the boxes swing between very easy and unclear, with little guidance on what the game wants from you.
The low price is the main argument for it. At under two dollars it is a fair way to spend an evening fiddling with gadgets, but there is no story to speak of, no co-op, and little reason to replay once a box is solved. Grab it on a whim or in a bundle; skip it if you want rooms to explore or a narrative to follow.
Pros
- 36 separate puzzle boxes, each with its own locking trick
- Very low price for an evening of tinkering
- Short levels that suit quick play sessions
Cons
- Some boxes give too little feedback, others are trivial
- Over in about an hour or two with no replay value
- Thin cyberpunk framing with almost no story
About
Access Denied is a puzzle game in the world where for storage of personal data are used special device in the form of protected boxes. Imagine yourself in the role of the professional cracker of such devices and test your skills for 36 different levels.
