Engare Introduction:

Engare, a puzzle game designed by Mahdi Bahrami from Iran, featuring a soundtrack by Mim Rasouli, is available for play on PC and MacOS. The game positions itself as an exploration of motion and geometry, drawing inspiration from Islamic art and sacred geometry. Engare consists of two distinct gameplay modes: a puzzle-solving mode, in which players recreate shapes displayed on screen by placing a point on a moving object – reminiscent of a Spirograph – and an open-ended artistic mode that enables players to craft their own intricate patterns. The initial concept for Engare emerged in 2010, with the game's official release taking place in October 2017.


 It can be purchased for $6.99 on Steam and Bahrami's personal website. However, the game encountered delays due to challenges stemming from international sanctions on Iran, impeding Bahrami's ability to access resources and travel.

Bahrami has articulated the sources that influenced both the game's visual style and its mechanics. The Islamic geometric patterns showcased in the game are widespread in Iran, particularly in Bahrami's hometown of Isfahan, where the central Naqsh-e Jahan Square, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, prominently features these designs. The mechanical aspect of the game was sparked by a question posed by Bahrami's high-school geometry teacher. The inquiry prompted students to imagine the shape that would be traced by a fixed point on a ball rolled across a flat surface, resulting in a sequence of loops.

Gameplay:


Even students who struggled with geometry found the question captivating. Engare serves as a means for Bahrami to delve into mathematics through visual representation, as he believes that video games offer an ideal medium for such explorations. Despite this educational potential, Bahrami did not originally intend to create an educational game. Engare marks Bahrami's second endeavor inspired by traditional Islamic patterns, with the first being "Farsh," a game influenced by Persian carpets that his mother crafted during his upbringing.

Engare unfolds through two gameplay modes. The initial mode centers on puzzle-solving, requiring players to reproduce displayed shapes by positioning a point on a moving object. As puzzles escalate in complexity, successful solutions yield progressively intricate patterns, eventually becoming repetitive and gaining color in later stages. Upon resolving enough puzzles, a secondary gameplay mode unlocks: a pattern design tool empowering players to create repeating geometric patterns through the placement of dots, lines, and colored tiles. These patterns can then be projected onto a 3D dome reminiscent of a mosque, offering various perspectives for exploration.

Engare has garnered positive acclaim. An early demo, presented at the 2014 GDC Experimental Gameplay Workshop, received favorable press coverage. Subsequent to its official release, Engare received praise from critics. Sam Machkovech of Ars Technica described the game as "truly magical and unparalleled in the gaming sphere."

Final Words:


Robin Hunicke of EA and Funomena lauded the game's ingenious puzzles. Rami Ismail of Vlambeer consistently commended Engare, ranking it among his top 10 games of 2017 in a Giant Bomb article and highlighting it as one of the games he admires most in a GameSpot feature. The game has also earned commendation from players on Steam, holding an overall "very positive" rating. Additionally, Engare has secured several awards, including the Student Showcase at the Independent Games Festival and recognition in the Excellence in Design and Culture Award categories at the Tehran Video Game Festival.