We’ve been excited for Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure, the debut title from developer Furniture & Mattress, ever since we learned this past February that it would be coming to Netflix Games on mobile alongside its release on consoles and PC. The concept caught my attention right away when the game was first shown off, but now that I’ve had a chance to play the full game, it’s the visuals, audio, and story that all come together with the game’s novel gameplay mechanics that make for an overall package that is immensely impressive.
So what is the main hook in Arranger? Well you play a young orphan named Jemma who is stricken with a very odd ability. Every step you take moves the area around you as well, both horizontally and vertically. The game is laid out on one big grid, so say if there’s a potted plant two squares in front of you and you move towards it, the pot will move in lockstep with you. In areas of the map that are connected sections you can also wrap objects and yourself around that area, kind of like when Pac-Man takes that little shortcut in one side of the screen and appears on the other side.
There are also objects that can’t be moved when you move, which will play a big role in puzzling your way through the game. You’ll often need to figure out how to move an object onto a switch to activate a path forward, or even “battle" against enemies by finding a way to push weapons into them to defeat them and clear the way. Arranger is the type of game where you come up against something blocking your path, and you’re just CERTAIN the game is broken and there’s no possible solution to your situation. But then you futz around with it for a bit, have that “Aha!" moment, and continue moving forward. It’s an immensely satisfying experience, to say the least.
Much of this is covered in our full review of Arranger, so do check that out. Like I said previously, the mechanics themselves are super interesting and the game as a whole is rather challenging, though there are plenty of options to cater to how much of a workout you want to give your brain. But it’s really the entire package that elevates this to one of my favorite releases of the year. It’s the kind of game that has oodles of heart that you can feel pouring through the screen. If you have a Netflix account this is a no-brainer, and even if you don’t I’d make a point to check out Arranger on one of the other platforms it’s on because this one is really special.
