▲ Recommended
2 hrs
Fit a bazooka next to grenades. Yes. Totally safe...
Thank you Yuri Antunes for the curator copy!
This is nonetheless an impartial review.
Ever saw the Resident Evil inventory management and wanted all the puzzles and none of the horror? No? Well good for you and your horror tolerance leve, because I sure did. Briefcase delivers exactly that (yes, references included). You're a brand-new employee whose job is to pack highly suspicious items like guns, bombs, and even bazookas, into little briefcases without asking questions. Totally normal office day.
At its core, it’s a clean polyomino puzzle setup with a very obvious nod to that iconic grid-based inventory system. You’ve got 50 briefcases to fill to the brim, all tied to 6 achievements that follow a natural progression. It’s simple, readable, and easy to jump into with simple mouse controls. Content-wise, it feels fair for the price. There’s enough here to keep you busy for a couple of hours (I hit 86% completion in about 2h), and the ability to revisit completed levels through a menu is a nice touch. Achievements are straightforward and even a bit funny, which adds a little personality to the grind. The references sprinkled throughout gave me a small smile here and there. Nothing too in-your-face, just enough to go “hey, I see what you did there”. Add in separate sound sliders and the option to reset your progress entirely, and you’ve got a tidy little package for a short good time.
Now, about the difficulty... it’s a bit of a rollercoaster. Early levels are very easy (as in easy enough to switch to brain autopilot mode) which makes the first half feel repetitive if you’re used to puzzle games. Things only start to wake up around level 40, which is quite the wait if you’re here for a challenge.
And when that challenge finally shows up, it doesn’t mess around. There’s a sharp jump that can catch you off guard. I personally hit a wall at level 44, completely stuck, brain tied in knots, staring at pieces like they personally offended me. And here’s the kicker: you can’t skip levels. So if one puzzle blocks you, your progression completely stops. There is a “hint system”, but let’s be real, it’s more like general advice from the tutorial. Stuff like “start with the bigger pieces” or “use corners first.” Helpful when you’ve never touched a puzzle before, sure, but if you’re actually stuck, it won’t save you. You can't also rely on meta knowledge as there seems to be multiple solutions possible for each of the puzzles.
So who is this for? That’s the tricky part. The slow start might test the patience of puzzle veterans, while the late difficulty spike could frustrate newcomers. Achievement hunters might either breeze through or slam into a wall depending on their puzzle instincts. It’s a bit all over the place, but still a fun ride overall.
I had a good time with it. The pacing swings from super casual to depp thoughts, and that contrast won’t click for everyone. Still, if the idea of organizing dangerous nonsense into tidy grids sounds appealing, there’s something here worth your time here, especially if you're a Resident Evil enjoyer.
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