Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure

The simple explanation of Arranger (available now on Steam, Epic, Switch, PlayStation, and Netflix) is that it’s a single big multi-stage sliding block puzzle. You don’t move your character; you move the world along one directional axis at a time. The challenge is to rearrange the map so you can move forward, whether that means moving obstacles, triggering switches, or rescuing a particularly troublesome cat.

As Jemma, an orphaned girl who’s finally been allowed to leave her isolated and isolationist village, you’re on the hunt for a place you can finally call your own. Jemma is a literal puzzle piece, and naturally, she wants to know where she fits. It’s all part of a story that’s occasionally a little too on the nose about the problems that arise when you’re afraid to change.

Arranger is a relatively short ride, but it’s clever, and there are a few optional challenges that’ll keep you busy for a while. If you’re strictly in it for the story, you can turn on a couple of different assisted modes, including one that disables most of the puzzles.