Deru: The Art of Cooperation

Deru: The Art of Cooperation is one of the best and most original puzzle games available for the Nintendo Switch, especially when played by two players in cooperation. Its mixture of challenging puzzles which grow increasingly complex with a very minimalist and relaxing audiovisual environment and interesting cooperative gameplay mechanics help turn this into a winning combination for fans of puzzle games.

Unusual puzzle game with strategic planning, cool in cooperation, much harder in singleplayer mode. But still great and unique.

Though the price tag on the game is pretty modest, the gameplay is very short — less than four hours from start to finish — and may not be worth the purchase for players seeking an exhilarating experience.

The ambient music and the beautiful visuals of this easy to understand puzzle game make it a solid selection for two player co-op, or playing solo if you a fan of sensual problem solving.

DERU: The Art of Cooperation is a simple but beautiful puzzler that really shines when two players are involved. It’s an easy recommendation if you’re after a head scratcher and perfect for couples looking for a way to spend a couple of afternoons. Playing alone? It’s functional but far from the true way to experience the game.

Already having played quite a number of games with a similar set-up on Switch I’m sort of down the middle with Deru. Both in terms of the aesthetics and ambient music it is a subdued and even beautiful experience, which is a plus. The puzzles are certainly varied and some even may seem overwhelming at first as you try to figure out what you’ll need to do to get through them. Even once you have your plan in place execution is critical and this isn’t set up to be a cake walk by any means. However, in terms of overall creativity, diversity, and requiring outside of the box thinking to push you it isn’t quite in the same league as something like Death Squared, so it’s quite good but not at the top of its category.

Deru: The Art of Cooperation is a playable adventure designed for two players, increasing the difficulty if you want to play alone. Offering a very original and careful artistic section, which, combined with the design of levels and the progression curve, give rise to a very accessible and comfortable game to play.

Deru: The Art of cooperation is a delightfully relaxing puzzle-solving experience that leans into its tone and provides a mellow fun whether you're sitting alone or with a friend on the couch. The levels are challenging without being aggravating and it's clear just as much thought was put into its presentation. I just don't expect you'll be playing this at a rooftop party with Karen anytime soon.

Deru: The Art of Cooperation looks simple yet its gameplay is mind-bending, challenging, and ultimately rewarding.