Patrick's Parabox Review

Patrick's Parabox was initially released on Steam in 2022 after a successful demo was released by Patrick Traynor in 2020. As of July 2023, it was launched on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5, and I was naturally intrigued. I’d never played Patrick’s Parabox before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. All I knew was that sometimes, all I wanted to do was sit back, unwind, and do a few puzzles after a hard day of work.

So, naturally, Patrick’s Parabox became one of my go-to games when I wanted to do something without too much stress. Hell, I found even the more difficult puzzles were still fun to solve, especially as I could go back and forth to find another puzzle that was more solvable for me at that moment in time.

On booting up the game, you find yourself in a room, upon entering, you play as a small box, which I’ve chosen to name Patrick for the ease of the review. As Patrick, you need to solve different puzzles in each section and you'll need a certain number of them to progress to the next round.

Of course, not each level is the same. While the controls remain the same throughout the game, where you use the analog stick to move yourself and your boxes and the B-button to go back. The X-button resets the level to the beginning, and there are no limits to how often you can return. Honestly, this may be one of the most relaxing puzzle games I’ve ever played, and the soundtrack offered some delightful ambience.

Each level, I would learn different functions of the boxes. Some boxes went inside others, and you could also put a box inside another box to move it to another one. Others could not be removed or you would be sent into the void, with no return to the one that you want to get to. You essentially needed to think outside the box as you used each one’s abilities to find out just what you needed to do.

The fact that I could go back to return to different levels made Patrick’s Parabox a much less frustrating game than it had the potential to be. If I had to play it in a specific order, I would have lost it a long time ago. But due to how it’s made, you don’t have to worry about being punished for any mistakes you made. I could simply go back to the beginning or move to a different puzzle to see if it was any easier.

It also doesn’t punish you for not doing all the more challenging puzzles, which are signposted with a red outline to showcase their difficulty. In fact, it lets you ignore them if you want to come back later when you feel more ready for them. Even without any storyline, I found Patrick’s Parabox to be a pleasant and relaxing game that was perfect after a long day.

You can jump in and out, and because there’s no steep learning curve, I found that it was perfect to play when I just wanted a quick game before bed without worrying about time constraints. Each puzzle only takes a few minutes to solve, but they can be pretty addicting. Hell, I think this is one game that I have absolutely no complaints about.

It’s truthfully, a really relaxing game that is perfect for anyone regardless of their experience in puzzles. I’ve never found a game that truly encompassed all-age gameplay than Patrick’s Parabox, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone who wants a relaxing game without the additional stress.

While I haven’t completed every single puzzle yet, I can safely say that Patrick’s Parabox will serve me well for any time I need a game to play without the worry of having to find a save point to come back to later. You can jump in and out without worrying about forgetting the controls, and it really lets you experiment with how to place each block to reach the end point of each level.

Overall, if you’ve not played Patrick’s Parabox before, I would recommend you play it. Honestly, this may be one of my favourite puzzle games that I’ve ever played, and I would encourage you to try it out on whichever console you own.