Michi-Suji Puzzle: Michi Connect (PC) (Demo)

Overview: Sokoban game where the player pushes around blocks to send light from a starting block (S) to an ending block (G).

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20260621:
Steam Game Time: 26 minutes

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First Impressions:
In contrast to the demo for sokoban game Club Soko, Michi-Suji has a slower pace. This is in part because the game awards Bronze / Silver / Gold medals depending on how many moves a player uses to complete the puzzle. I had mentioned that Club Soko tracks this but doesn't put it in the foreground. As such, I flew through the levels in Club Soko and felt like I wanted more. Here, I would replay a level until I got Gold, and felt a little burned out by the time I finished the 10th puzzle (and 10th Gold medal).*

On paper, the idea of moving blocks to connect the lights seems like it would be a great puzzle mechanic, but for some reason I wasn't feeling it. Perhaps the visuals were kind of strange for me. In particular, I don't get why the block that's capable of transmitting light is designed the way it is. I get that everything has to be cubes, but maybe some kind of translucent cube would convey light transmission more than the art being used. Speaking of the art, I'm not feeling the random objects serving as background objects. They feel distracting.

Overall, I've definitely made my way through these type of puzzle games before (e.g., Toki Tori), but I think I've moved on from the brute force challenge of certain puzzle games. In other words, there's a certain class of puzzle games (or perhaps even games in general), can be completed given enough time and effort. So then the question becomes, do I enjoy the time and effort being put into the game or am I turning entertainment into a chore. And I think stopping at the 10th puzzle signals to me that this game could easily fall into being a game I could play, but not a game I really want to play.

Demo Rating: 3.8 out of 5

*As of 20260530, the developer updated the demo to go up to 18 stages.

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[!] The Steam store page has an AI Generated Content Disclosure section. The developer(s) for this game write the following:

This game uses generative AI tools during development for limited content assistance, such as text drafting and creative reference.

All core gameplay systems, level design, mechanics, and implementation were created and designed by the developer.

No AI-generated content is dynamically created during gameplay.

I didn’t identify any AI usage in this game and wonder whether the disclosure refers more to design assistance than in-game assets. The key term is "content."

Developers are expected to disclose AI-generated content, which can include art, text, or music. However, many disclosures also specify that core mechanics and level design were human-created.

This raises a question: if AI is used to assist in generating or exploring mechanics, does that count as content, and what is the intent of requiring disclosure in that case? I would argue that, technically, it does not. Yet developers seem to feel pressure not only to define "content," but also to preemptively constrain how players might interpret it.

AI Generated Content Disclosure Rating: 4.8 out of 5

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Michi-Suji Puzzle: Michi Connect (PC) (Demo)

Relevant Links:
Michi-Suji Puzzle: Michi Connect (Steam Store Page)