Bonfire Peaks: Lost Memories Review

Bonfire Peaks: Lost Memories is the first DLC for 2021’s Bonfire Peaks developed by Corey Martin and published by Draknek & Friends. With new gameplay mechanics, thoughtful (head scratching) new puzzle design, and new areas to explore, the Lost Memories DLC has something special in store for all puzzle fans. This is the first part of a trilogy of content updates coming this year. Part 1 of Lost Memories is roughly 1/4 the size of the base game and is available to play now on PC, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.

To get myself mentally prepared for this review, I went through the first 30 puzzles again in the base Bonfire Peaks game and I am glad I did as I was reminded at just how clever Corey Martin and the team at Draknek & Friends truly are. For new players commencing their Bonfire Peaks journey with this new DLC, you can jump straight into these new puzzles, however I highly recommend playing at least some of the first game which has a gentle learning curve with a few curveballs.

The new lands we find ourselves sailing to in Lost Memories has a slightly brighter overworld with a blue sky in the background but still maintains the glorious voxel-based main character and fires we need to camp at and solve. This is contrast to the rather dark and bleaker setting of the base game. The first puzzle starts off lulling me into a false sense of security with a relatively straightforward Entryway puzzle.

I almost didn’t notice the button as I was moving the boxes, but when I got to the second Podium puzzle, this started the head scratching. We are straight into double-blocks and burning blocks. I won’t say too much for spoilers other than you can ‘stick’ boxes together to be gravity defying, and you can use blocks to swipe/push other blocks. Thus brings us to the familiar gameplay loop of the base Bonfire Peaks where we solve a puzzle, get rewarded with a block, solve more puzzles and gain more blocks to use them to get to higher and harder to reach places for more puzzles.

As mentioned at the top, we only have access to the first part of Bonfire Peaks: Lost Memories and what we can play through so far is roughly a quarter of the previous base game. This equates to around 4-5 hours of head scratching goodness, but the difficulty curve may not be for everyone. I would have liked a few more ‘simpler’ puzzles to start off this new DLC, especially for players coming in completely fresh, though that’s a totally subjective thing with these puzzle games.

Bonfire Peaks and the Lost Memories DLC is simple gameplay that makes you think, backed by a pleasant soundtrack and easy on the eye’s graphics. I enjoy adding games like this to my rotation from time to time as it’s a good change of pace and I like the challenge, for the most part. I am looking forward to continuing Bonfire Peaks: Lost Memories Parts 2 and 3 when they release later this year.

This review utilised a key provided by Future Friends Games and Bonfire Peaks: Lost Memories Part 1 is out now on Steam, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Buying the DLC now will also entitle you to parts 2 and 3 when they’re available.

#roundtablecoop