Unique Japanese Indie puzzle game that uses arithmetic and electricity releases demo version

Japanese game developer Yutaka Kinjo released a demo version for their upcoming math-based puzzle game titled Electrogical on Steam on August 18. The demo version includes 11 stages and can be downloaded for free from the Steam store page. The prototype version of this game had previously won the GYAAR Studio Indie Game Contest held by Bandai Namco Entertainment in 2023.

Electrogical is a puzzle game that incorporates elements of a jigsaw puzzle and the four basic arithmetic operations. Gameplay consists of connecting puzzle pieces based on the numbers and operators written on them. In each stage, there is a power source piece, that serves as the starting point, and a goal piece with a number written on it. The objective of the game is to connect the jigsaw puzzle-like pieces from the power source all the way to the goal piece in order to send electric power to it. The individual pieces receive power from their concave part and send power from their convex part. In each stage, the player places the puzzle pieces between the source and goal, creating a path for power to be transmitted.

The tricky part, however, is that the amount of power that needs to be transmitted to the goal piece is fixed for each stage. The power transmitted to the goal piece depends on the operators and numbers of the pieces used in the circuit. For example, if two +2 pieces are used on the way to the goal, the total power sent is 4; if the pieces are connected to the goal in the order of +1, +3, and /2, the power will equal 2. At the starting, “power source” piece, the power is 0, and it increases or decreases depending on the values and mathematical operations of the pieces it passes through. The player must keep this in mind as they connect the piece of the puzzle and lead power to the goal.

In the demo available on Steam, a total of 11 stages are playable, which are mostly of easier difficulty, but they do introduce the existence of puzzle pieces which have special characteristics. According to the Steam entry of the game, though it seems casual at firrst glance, it is recommended to puzzle gamers who like to take their time solving puzzles.