It’s the zombie apocalypse! Luckily for you, you’re not a human or you’d already be one of them. What is a lonely fungus to do? A lot it turns out. You might just be humanity’s last resort and the solution to rid the planet of the proliferating zombies. Mycelium Heaven is a lovely puzzle game by the Spanish studio, 3DGoblinDev.

Mycelium Heaven is a Sokoban style puzzle game with a twist. In this game you’re not a character that has to push objects or reach a goal post. You play as a fungus, and as fungus naturally do, you have to expand and grow to consume all the zombies on the board. There are four sections which you can access from the level selection screen. Each one of these sections is a season, and they all have their own challenges and specificity. Each season contains 30 levels of varying difficulties.

The goal of each level is to consume all of the zombies. Some zombies are stationary while some walk, and some even jump out of their last resting place. The walking ones will only go back and forth on the same line so you know where they’ll be several moves ahead. The game is played on a square grid. The size depends on the level, and some levels can combine more that one grid. Every move takes energy whether it be expending, growing fungus or consuming a zombie. You start each level with three moves/energies. The only way to replenish it is to consume zombies or what they left behind. A different amount of energy is restored depending of what you consume. If you consume a zombie all of your energy is restored, but if you consume an arm as an example, you only restore part of your energy.

Mycelium Heaven involves a lot of strategy. You have to plan your moves ahead, and know when to consume a zombie of part thereof to ensure that you have enough energy to complete the level. The game also has many unique mechanics. Every season has some new mechanics being introduced like the tree trunk and grave zombies. In the first area you are introduced to the tree trunk. When you consume this tree trunk and grow mushroom on it, it’ll let you expend the area you can reach further than you would normally with a regular tile. This is only one of many novel mechanics that are introduced throughout the game. I love that the mechanics are sparsely introduced in each area because it helped keep me interested until the end.

The artwork is beautiful in its simplicity. It has a unique and polished low-poly style. I love how each season is represented with different color schemes. Autumn has a lot of warm colors like orange and warmer greens, spring has a lot of browns and greens, and summer is represented by lots of bright greens. Winter on the other hand has of course whites, but also a colder color scheme to represent the cold months. Even though the levels are similar in style, the change in colors and small details make each area stand out. I also love the soundtrack, because the sounds create an immersive and relaxing experience.

Once I understood the gameplay, I enjoyed Mycelium Heaven however my experience would have been greatly improved with a proper tutorial. You are thrust into the game with minimal tips. The first level shows you where to click, but that’s about it. The tips you get in the first levels are extremely basic, and not enough for a first time player to learn how to play. You’ll have to go by trial and error before you start to understand gameplay and the different mechanics. If you never played a Sokoban style puzzle, and this is your first experience, you might be lost and get discouraged. This is too bad because once you get the hang of it, it’s a fun and challenging game that deserves to be discovered.

Mycelium Heaven is an excellent puzzle game with over 100 levels. This game is a new take on an old classic. With its unique and varied mechanics, it truly take the Sokoban style puzzle to the next level. The lovely low-poly artwork and relaxing soundtrack gives this game a cozy vibe, however beginners might find the task of learning the ropes daunting due to the lack of a proper tutorial. Overall it’s a fantastic game, and I would recommend it to players who are already acquainted with Sokoban style puzzles.

Positives

• Challenging puzzles
• Diverse innovative mechanics
• Beautiful low-poly artwork

Negatives

• Not beginner-friendly because of the lack of a proper tutorial

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