Tempopo Review - Bop Along To This Satisfying Puzzle Game
Tempopo is an incredibly refined puzzle game that knows exactly what it wants to be.
In this game, you control a number of cute blobby creatures called ‘tempopo’, who bounce through each level in time to the beat and respond to the instructions you place in the world. By telling the tempopo to change directions, push blocks, or boost each other to different platforms, you collect musical flowers and return them to Hana’s garden. These actions start simple, but as you move through each island, the number of tempopo increases and their movements combine into more complex symphonies.
From the developers of Unpacking and Assault Android Cactus—two games with very different genres and vibes—Tempopo is yet another genre deviation for the studio. However, Witch Beam is ever-present in this game, bringing their signature polish and attention to every detail. It’s clear that every decision in this game was made with great intentionality, and each movement, sound effect, and menu option feels satisfying to interact with as a result.
Although Tempopo is cute, don’t let its aesthetic fool you: its puzzles are anything but gentle. Playing on Puzzle Mode, you will absolutely be challenged as the difficulty ramps up between seasons. There’s also an easier Adventure Mode, which would be suited to younger audiences or to somebody who is more interested in the relaxing vibes. The main difference between the modes is that Adventure Mode highlights the squares where you should consider placing an instruction, while Puzzle Mode lets you place instructions on any open square on the map. While showing you where to look does help, it certainly doesn’t make every level a walk in the park. You can switch between modes at any time, so if a particular level is blocking your progress, it’s a handy option (and one I took advantage of on more than one occasion).
As I rotated around each spacial challenge, sometimes I found it difficult to visualise what my tempopo were going to do—especially as the levels grew larger. Thankfully, Tempopo encourages experimentation, letting you play through the simulation multiple times with no negative consequences as you learn the timing and look for a combination that works. In fact, as each new mechanic is introduced with minimal tutorialising, experimentation becomes the only way to discover the new ways your tempopo are able to move around. Thankfully, these little folks can fly, so you don’t need to feel too guilty if you accidentally let them fall off an island (although they do make a noise that made me feel like they were disappointed in me each time I failed).
Each puzzle you complete unlocks pages in a gallery and journal, as well as new flowers for Hana’s garden. The gallery shows concept art and illustrations from the game’s development, which is an endearing addition reminiscent of the menus I remember PlayStation 2 era games often included. Hana’s garden is a lovely space where you can produce songs by placing the musical flowers you’ve gathered into patterns, with the songs they generate increasing in complexity as the number and variety of flowers you find increases. When you unlock the Melody Garden, you get even more freedom; in this ‘creative mode’ you can place an unlimited number of flowers and compose tunes from a combination of vocals, drums, brass, and bass. I’m looking forward to seeing what people who are more musically talented than me can produce.
Tempopo‘s narrative revolves around ‘tempo’ creatures and musical flowers, so it makes sense that the soundtrack and audio design is important. Honestly, composer and audio director Jeff van Dyck has outdone himself. From the endearing Aussie accent of Hana’s voice acting to the absolute bop that starts each time you tell the tempopo to start moving, this is a game that you should play with the volume turned up. I’ll be adding the Tempopo OST to my rotation of game soundtracks that keep me motivated while I’m working.
Although the game is relatively short, Tempopo is incredibly well-made and I think anyone who enjoys spacial puzzles will have fun guiding these blobby friends in time to the beat.
Tempopo was reviewed on PC with a code kindly provided by the developer.
