Games

Indie Spotlight – Parallel Experiment comes with a comic noir puzzle mystery designed for two

BBG News

Story Highlights

  • Parallel Experiment is a 2-player co-op puzzler with escape room vibes, blending noir storytelling and comic book visuals.
  • Adrian Olczyk, CEO and co-founder at Eleven Puzzles shared fascinating insights into the game’s development, challenges, visuals, and more.
  • The game is set to release on June 5.

On June 5, 2025, Eleven Puzzles plans to debut their collaborative puzzle game titled “Parallel Experiment” on Android, iOS, and Steam platforms.

As a passionate gamer, I’m thrilled about the impending arrival of this captivating 2-player indie game on mobile devices! In this intriguing mystery, you and your friend step into the roles of detectives who frequently work apart, uncovering separate yet crucial clues. Our shared goal is to collaborate, pool our findings, and piece together solutions to mind-bending puzzles. This meticulously designed game offers a tantalizing blend of mental challenges and camaraderie, making it an essential addition to any mobile gaming library!

Featured Column – Indie Spotlight

Gaming on Phone’s “Indie Spotlight” highlights up-and-coming small game studios and developers, providing them with recognition and visibility within the independent gaming community. In this series, we offer comprehensive overviews, as well as insights and opinions from the developers themselves. If you’re an indie studio, don’t hesitate to contact us with your questions at editor@gamingonphone.com.

Game Overview

In simpler terms, “Parallel Experiment” is one of the puzzle games from the collection called “Eleven Puzzles.” It’s designed for two players to collaborate and offers an escape room-like experience. The game is set in a noir-inspired atmosphere with a comic book art style, where you and your companion can team up as detectives named Ally and Old Dog. Together, you’ll work on deciphering the enigmatic clues left behind by the “Cryptic Killer.

The intriguing aspect lies in the game’s design, which keeps you and your partner apart, offering distinct items and hints. This necessitates relying on your conversational abilities and teamwork to solve approximately 80 thoughtfully crafted puzzles. Additionally, if you need a change from puzzles, you can delve into an array of mini-games inspired by the past, but with a cooperative twist.

Offering a multitude of puzzles, approximately a hundred comic book-style pages, interactive dialogues, responsive NPCs, the option to irritate multiplayer companions, and numerous other features, Parallel Experiment provides a comprehensive, engaging, and thrilling gaming experience tailored for today’s gamers.

Why you should play Parallel Experiment

  • An intriguing 2-player puzzle title with escape room mechanics and noir comic flair.
  • Packed with over 10 hours of gameplay, including over 80 puzzles and 100 comic book pages.
  • Features hand-drawn art, dynamic NPCs, cooperative dialogues, and beautiful cutscenes.
  • Includes retro-inspired mini-games, sketching options, and fun ways to mess with your partners.

From concept to creation: Developer Insights

During a chat with GamingonPhone, Adrian Olczyk – CEO and co-founder of Eleven Puzzles – generously disclosed fascinating insights into their upcoming project, Parallel Experiment. He delved into its genesis, inspirations, hurdles encountered, and various other aspects during the development process.

He mentioned that he is one of the founders of Eleven Puzzles, partnering with his wife, Karolina, and explained that they established the studio due to their mutual love for escape rooms.

From a passion project to everything

Adrian mentioned that Eleven Puzzles functions as a “completely distributed team” with eight members, each located in different parts of Poland. He explained that they flourish due to the flexibility remote work provides, fostering their creativity and allowing for collaboration in methods that best suit everyone.

The objective, as he put it, was straightforward: “We aimed to create the kind of brain-teasing games that we ourselves would enjoy playing.” He disclosed they established their studio in November 2020 amidst the peak of the pandemic. “Since physical escape rooms were shut down, we yearned for the excitement of collaboratively solving puzzles,” he pointed out.

They chose to replicate the experience in a digital format instead. He shared how what started as a personal endeavor rapidly evolved into something bigger, since their “first game became popular among friends, so we continued.” With each new game they develop, their aim is to create increasingly engaging and imaginative cooperative puzzles.

Challenges and the birth of Parallel Experiment

When asked about the origins of Parallel Experiment, Mr. Adrian explained that it stemmed from something quite fundamental. “To start with,” he divulged, “we had a rather straightforward notion – a game based in a lab setting.

As their work progressed and they fleshed out the narrative, defined character goals, and crafted complex relationships, the project started to grow in scope and ambition on its own. Originally titled “Parallel Labs”, the title was later altered as the plot thickened with “deeper challenges and concealed secrets.”

This new version maintains the original meaning while using more natural and easy-to-read language.

He elaborated on how the story revolves around “two brothers, long estranged from each other, who find themselves entangled in a hidden trial linked to their vanished parents,” drawing on themes influenced by their recent marathon of “The X-Files.” After briefly summarizing the plotline, we delved into the hurdles encountered during the production of the game.

As per Mr. Adrian’s account, the main hurdle was striking a balance. He mentioned that if one side of the puzzle seemed slow or too simple, the tension would dissipate. To tackle this issue, they addressed it by meticulous playtesting and continuous revisions, ensuring that every puzzle maintained the interest of both players by “fine-tuning and refining until each puzzle remained captivating throughout.

Why blending mystery and co-op as a genre felt right

Initially, they were wondering about the approach of blending noir-style narrative with teamwork-based puzzle-solving. To this, he responded, “The whole thing stemmed from a desire to create cooperative games that would be enjoyable for us to play.

It’s fascinating to discover that, much like myself, Mr. Adrian and his spouse are avid gamers. They enjoy a wide variety of games, ranging from digital escapes to traditional ones such as the EXIT and UNLOCK! board game series.

In this segment, he responded to another query by saying, “Our passion lies in mystery novels, comics, and enjoying shared activities. This is where it all started and the reason we selected this particular genre.

He mentioned that this combination was effective: “Detectives, after cracking an unsolved case, find themselves to be the very targets of the murderer they’ve been pursuing for years.” In his opinion, this fusion of tension and camaraderie is “the exact exhilarating experience we aimed to deliver.

Designing with clarity, challenge, and co-op at heart

As per Mr. Adrian, the studio’s approach to development is structured and repetitive. He described it as “a cyclical process“, consisting of three significant stages: brainstorming mechanics and concepts collectively, swiftly creating puzzles using temporary artwork, and thoroughly testing these creations with constructive criticism.

He pointed out that if the puzzle remains engaging in its original state, it indicates that it has potential. Additionally, design guidelines help them stay on track. He highlighted the fact that there is no inventory system, no option to go back, and each puzzle covers “only two screens.

In every gaming adventure I embark on, the art of communication holds the reins. To keep things engaging yet manageable, they’ve cleverly tucked “a handful of brain-teasers” into each stage. Moreover, these stages are self-contained with clear objectives, or as he put it, “each level has its own purpose“, which helps guide my progress through the game.

Wrapping up this segment, he disclosed that they reinvented “traditional adventure themes for collaborative play between two individuals”. Their objective, as stated, is to “address a void in this genre by focusing on cooperative problem-solving and giving it the recognition it merits.

Lighthearted co-op mini-games add a fun break from the intense puzzles

Inquiring about the incorporation of fun mini-games within the game, I questioned Mr. Adrian regarding the studio’s methodology. “Parallel Experiment is structured into four distinct sections,” he explained, each demarcated by a police station. During these intervals between investigations, you are given the opportunity to unwind by engaging in activities such as playing darts, pool, or old-school arcade games.

As a gamer, I can’t help but appreciate the “Annoy Each Other” mechanic that adds a fun twist to the game. You can playfully jab at your partner’s screen or give it a shake to keep things lively. Plus, they estimate around 10 hours of gameplay, which is chock-full of value. There are no fillers or reused puzzles here – it’s all fresh and engaging!

At each stage, he noted, was “meticulously balanced for rhythm, puzzle complexity, and degree of difficulty.” The team put in a great effort to achieve the perfect blend of “tough brainteasers, significant story moments, humorous interludes, and heartwarming conclusions.

Immersive experience through hand-drawn storytelling

As we continued our chat, we discussed the game’s appearance. Regarding its visuals, the team focused on ensuring the art style harmonized with the game mechanics, which were designed to be “user-friendly, understandable, and accessible for players of diverse backgrounds.” The comic book aesthetic also aids in creating an engaging atmosphere that reflects the game’s noir ambiance.

Mentioned that their “primary artist, Adam, who nurtured a passion for comics since his younger years,” has significantly influenced the game’s aesthetics. Yet, when Robert came aboard the team, he “polished the color scheme and linework” to intensify the noir atmosphere.

The team designed each cutscene like an individual comic panel, numbering approximately 100 in all, which enhances the storyline’s immersion and continuity while allowing you to focus on solving puzzles uninterrupted.

What’s next for the Studio after this highly anticipated release

Moving forward, he mentioned that the team’s primary goal at the moment is to develop a Nintendo Switch version of their current project. Interestingly, they plan to bring two of their previous games, “Unsolved Case” and “Unboxing the Cryptic Killer”, to the Nintendo Switch as well. Although there won’t be additional content in the form of DLC for this game, there are subtle hints suggesting a secret ending that could possibly tease their next project.

Building a community without a big budget

Towards the close of our chat, the subject of our discussion changed to the methods they use for financing and management within their studio. He disclosed that they are entirely self-financed, allowing them to maintain their focus on their artistic aspirations.

For marketing, he emphasized it’s more about fostering a “strong community” and encouraging “genuine interaction.” Furthermore, he highlighted that most of the efforts are centered around the fans, with a strong emphasis on word-of-mouth referrals and social media.

He concluded the discussion by saying, “There’s a natural tendency for people to share and discuss something truly exceptional.

Final Verdict from the Editor

Now that pre-registration is available, I’m thrilled about Parallel Experiment, a cooperative puzzle game that looks fascinating for two players. What particularly excites me is the feature that allows you to playfully irritate your partner – by poking them or causing their screen to shake – which introduces an entertaining element I can’t wait to experience.

As a gamer, diving into this game feels like stepping into a vibrant comic book world with its gritty noir aesthetic and meticulously handcrafted environments. With an array of intriguing puzzles to solve, I’ve found myself hooked, not just by the challenges themselves but also by the retro-flavored mini-games such as Match Three and Claw Machine. The immersive content keeps me engaged, making it a must-play for enthusiasts who appreciate escape room-style challenges and collaborative mental feats.

To enjoy this follow-up game, you’ll need to mark your calendars for June 5th, 2025. On that day, you can play it on Android, iOS, and PC devices. However, Nintendo Switch users will have to exercise some patience as the release on that platform is planned for later in the year.

Read More

2025-06-04 19:12

Previous post Among All Will Trent’s Personal Drama Heading Into Season 4, Ramon Rodriguez Added A New Wrinkle Into The Mix
Next post Rick & Morty Season 8 Reveals Return of Underrated Birdperson’s Daughter