Zoonomaly Review: Puzzle Horror in a Disturbing Zoo Setting
Zoonomaly is a first-person indie horror puzzle game set in a haunted zoo plagued by terrifying monsters. Developed by LIGHTS ARE OFF LLC, the game combines nonlinear exploration with creepy visuals, light-based mechanics, and challenging platforming. It invites players to gather key shards from cursed animal enclosures and solve environmental puzzles while avoiding deadly creatures.
Atmosphere and Setting
Zoonomaly creates a dark and eerie zoo environment filled with unsettling ambient sounds and grotesque enemy designs. Each area feels unique, and the tension remains constant as players move between enclosures in search of key fragments. The lack of music heightens the fear, relying heavily on environmental cues and unpredictable creature behavior.
The world design is impressive for a small indie project. The visual tone mixes surreal and decayed elements, making every location feel dreamlike and disturbing. Lighting and shadows are used effectively to direct player focus while keeping exploration dangerous.
Puzzle Mechanics and Exploration
Each section of the zoo contains platforming or puzzle challenges required to obtain key shards. These involve jumping puzzles, switch activations, and some spatial reasoning. While some puzzles offer satisfying solutions, many rely on exact timing and positioning, which leads to a trial-and-error experience.
This puzzle approach is divisive. Some players enjoy the difficulty curve, while others find it frustrating due to inconsistent hit detection and unclear objectives. The game's minimal guidance leaves much to experimentation, which can either engage or alienate.
Tools and Survival Strategy
Players are equipped with a unique flashlight device called the Bloom O'Bang. It stuns enemies temporarily and reveals hidden objects or paths. Managing battery charge and recharge time becomes crucial, especially since enemies cannot be defeated permanently.
Survival is based on timing and navigation. Enemies move unpredictably and often kill in one hit. This forces players to learn their paths and react quickly under pressure. Without autosaves, mistakes can mean restarting entire sections, which increases tension but can also cause frustration.
Performance and Polish
Zoonomaly is generally stable but has rough edges. Players may encounter bugs involving collision, animation glitches, or progress reset due to the absence of autosave checkpoints. Controls feel slightly stiff, especially during platforming sections that demand precision.
Despite these issues, the game runs smoothly on modest hardware. Load times are short, and the user interface is functional. The developer appears to be active with updates, though some community feedback suggests improvements are still needed in core mechanics.
Conclusion
Zoonomaly is a creative and unnerving horror puzzle experience set in a twisted zoo. Its non-traditional progression and disturbing creature design make it stand out in the indie horror scene. While its trial-based puzzles and lack of polish may not appeal to everyone, fans of creepy exploration games will find a unique atmosphere and challenge here.
This review shows that Zoonomaly succeeds in tone and originality but falls short in consistent gameplay design and player-friendly systems.
