Back when I wrote a review Ouros ($2.99) by Michael Kamm on Steam Deck, I enjoyed it a lot, but thought it was better suited to playing on iOS, as it worked best with touch controls on Valve’s handheld. Today, the spline-based puzzle game about making curves is available on mobile, and I enjoyed playing it over and over again on my iPhone and iPad. While it’s not nearly the same style of puzzle, it reminded me of the classic Osmosis and his elegance when I started playing, and Ouros is one of the best mobile puzzle games of the year, despite some problems.
Ouros has a very clever way of introducing new mechanics. You start with the easiest level of the first chapter, where you learn to drag a ball to move a curve over numbered objects. Your goal is to make the rotating ball follow a path on said curve in a specific order, and this is where the puzzle aspect comes in. How you interact with the balls, the level changes, obstacles, and even the direction of movement, how you tackle the puzzles. Ouros isn’t a difficult game, but there are some levels where I would have liked some hints.
At the moment, Ouros comes with more than 120 puzzles and I love that you don’t have to solve every single one to progress. Some levels introduce mechanics that completely change the game, but I love that it never loses sight of being an elegant and relaxing puzzle game, even when levels get much more complex later on with different path requirements and obstacles. There’s always the hint system, but it’s not a direct answer for later levels, as you still have to think about making the turn correctly.
The accessibility of Ouros This is not only because it is one of the simpler ones in terms of solving puzzles or the hint system, but also because of the controls. Ouros is a simple game where you have to drag balls using responsive controls to properly line up various curves. You aren’t forced into pixel perfection, nor do you have to worry about timers. Think of it as a nice relaxing game when you want to kill a few minutes and do something to keep your brain active.
Visually, Ouros is very enjoyable. I love the animation work, the accelerated movements when you have solved a puzzle, and also the transitions between levels. Even situations where you make a mistake are accompanied by a delightful little animation. All this is accompanied by very good performance on every iOS device I tested it on: iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 12 and iPad Pro (2020). I have almost no complaints about the iOS version, but the lack of iCloud storage support is disappointing. If you plan to play Ouros On iOS, stick with one device for now.
Since I tested it on both devices, I ended up liking it more on the iPad than the iPhone. It looks great and runs well on both, but I enjoy these types of games more on the bigger screen. I had the same feeling with World of Goo however, it requires faster inputs. If you have the option to play on both, I recommend playing through the first three levels and seeing how you feel before committing to a specific device. I would also recommend it on iOS over Steam, as those games are better with full touch controls and an iPad is more comfortable for a touchscreen game than Steam Deck.
Aside from the lack of iCloud storage sync, some of the later puzzles Ouros a bit, but there’s little to complain about in this otherwise creative, elegant, and relaxing puzzle game. Since it’s perfectly controlled with touch controls, I didn’t bother using a controller.
Ouros was already worth the price on Steam earlier this year, and the lower price on mobile makes it an even easier recommendation. If you like relaxing puzzle games, Ouros is indispensable. I hope we see more from developer Michael Kamm in the puzzle space in the near future.
