Portal

🎮 Steam ⏳ 3 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Groundbreaking Puzzle Concept #

The first Portal is a short yet groundbreaking first-person puzzle game from Valve, originally released as part of The Orange Box, which was a bundle of Valve titles put together. The MC is called Chell, a silent test subject armed with the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device, capable of creating two linked portals on certain surfaces. This simple mechanic fuels an incredibly clever series of physics-based puzzles, gradually escalating in complexity and creativity without ever overwhelming you.

Iconic Villain Narrative #

The game’s pacing is razor-sharp, each chamber teaches you something new, and just when you think you’ve mastered it, the rules are twisted in unexpected ways so it never gets stale. Beneath its sterile test-chamber setting lies a darkly comedic narrative, delivered through the sarcastic, passive-aggressive voice of GLaDOS, an AI whose cheerful malice turns the sterile environment into a deeply unsettling backdrop.This character alone carries the whole plot of the game, she is praised as one of the best villains of all time in gaming history.

Short Yet Timeless #

At only 3~4 hours long, this game wastes no time, delivering a concentrated shot of innovative gameplay, memorable writing, and a now-iconic ending. It’s a perfect example of “less is more,” and even after all these years, it remains one of the most original puzzle experiences ever made. I highly recommend not skipping this one if you are a puzzle fan, it is truly one of the best games of all time, not just when it comes to it’s puzzles, but the overall mechanics and narrative.

The cake is a lie!