Bonfire Peaks
A block-pushing puzzle game about burning belongings.
Bonfire Peaks is a 2021 puzzle game from Canadian developer Corey Martin, published by Draknek & Friends for systems including the Nintendo Switch. It earned generally favorable reviews and a Best Indie Game nomination at the 2021 Golden Joystick Awards.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Corey Martin
- Publisher
- Draknek & Friends
- Platforms
- Linux
- macOS
- Windows
- Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation 5
- Released
- 30 September 2021
- Genre
- Puzzle
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
In Bonfire Peaks, you solve block-pushing puzzles inspired by Sokoban. Your character can walk forward, backward, turn, and carry boxes, but cannot step sideways. Each level is a 3D grid with terrain, movable boxes, and a bonfire. One special box holds your belongings, and your goal is to push it into the bonfire to burn it. The bonfire usually starts out of reach, so you must stack boxes to get to it. Later puzzles add longer boxes, streams that sweep you along, and traps. Levels connect through an overworld you can explore, which also uses the same box-carrying rules. You only need to solve about half the puzzles to finish the game. Completing a level gives you boxes that open new paths in the overworld. You can undo any number of moves, even back to the start of a level.
Development
Bonfire Peaks began as a game jam project by Montreal developer Corey Martin for Ludum Dare 43 in November 2018, under the theme "sacrifices must be made." The full game took about three years to complete. Alan Hazelden from Draknek & Friends helped roughly double the level count, bringing it to over 200. The game deliberately avoids a traditional story, with no dialogue or written explanations. Martin has said he believes storytelling is not what games do best or what draws him to the medium. Announced in January 2020 for a May 2020 release, it originally had no publisher. A demo appeared on 1 October 2020, and the full game launched on 30 September 2021 for Linux, macOS, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5, published by Draknek & Friends. A three-part DLC called Lost Memories followed, with part one on 2 March 2023 and the final two on 29 May 2025.
Reception
Bonfire Peaks earned a "generally favorable" rating on Metacritic. Critics highlighted its art style, soundtrack, and atmosphere. PC Gamer praised the simple voxel visuals, called the experience meditative, and pointed out a button that lets the character sit. Edge described the game as soulful, noting the art style matched its melancholic mood and deliberate pacing. Vandal and Jeuxvideo commended the soundtrack for fitting the genre. On the downside, PC Gamer felt the environmental storytelling fell short, Rock Paper Shotgun struggled to connect with the story, and Eurogamer thought the style might not appeal to everyone. Reactions to the gameplay and difficulty were mixed. Edge found it harder than A Monster's Expedition but easier than Stephen's Sausage Roll, praising simple mechanics with great variety. Others grew frustrated: Nintendo World Report noted the PlayStation version included hints while the Switch version did not, and Jeuxvideo criticized the game for teaching obscure, misleading mechanics without explanation. The level design was widely praised as well thought out. The controls drew criticism for being unintuitive, causing frequent mistakes, and for limited movement that broke immersion. Multiplayer.it found it absurd that the character could carry six boxes but only pick them up at foot level, and also criticized the lack of a 360-degree camera in a 3D game. Bonfire Peaks was nominated for Best Indie Game at the 2021 Golden Joystick Awards.
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