Build From Scratches

Build from Scratches is a short and cozy puzzle game about fixing things, or more accurately, reconstructing them from their individual parts.

The game currently features 30 levels, spanning a variety of objects such as toys, electronics, and guns. Some levels add extra steps, requiring you to clean rust or dirt from the components before assembly. In most cases, the process is fairly straightforward, though roughly a third of the levels offer a more substantial challenge. You’re not shown what the final object should look like (unless you peek at the Collections tab, which displays a small reference image), but that isn’t a big issue. Starting with obvious connections (such as attaching a robot’s legs to its body) usually provides enough momentum to reach a solution. As you progress, the remaining pieces begin to fall into place, and their purpose becomes clearer. That said, a handful of levels feature many small, similar-looking parts whose correct placement can be quite difficult to deduce. For me, levels involving guns or complex electronics were especially challenging.

Much of the game’s appeal lies in figuring out the correct order in which pieces should be assembled. One restriction of this mechanic is that even when two parts are compatible, they must be combined in a very specific order. Placing piece A onto piece B might fail, while doing the reverse works just fine. With more abstract devices and unusually shaped parts, the correct arrangement can be difficult to deduce, leading to a fair amount of trial and error. In these cases, it would have helped if the pieces were designed more intuitively (for example, by featuring unique details that make their placement and interaction clearer) or if there were some light textual hints suggesting which pieces belong together. A similar game, Assemble With Care, addresses this issue by dividing levels into multiple stages, only introducing new parts once the previous stage has been completed.

To help the player, the game provides clear visual feedback during assembly. Parts that can be combined are highlighted with a green background when hovered over one another, while pieces that cannot be rotated are marked with a yellow background. If two parts cannot be joined at a given moment, the game displays an explicit error message, and it does a similar thing when a piece is oriented incorrectly. While this doesn’t eliminate the difficulty of more complex levels, it does make brute-forcing them faster and less frustrating.

Beyond the puzzles themselves, the game includes a very light narrative framework. You play as Steve, who decides to become a repairman after being laid off from his job as a technician. Each object you assemble comes with a little piece of flavor text explaining its origin, how it broke, or why the customer wants it repaired. While it doesn’t weave a deep story in the manner Assemble With Care does, where each repair request showcases personal moments in the lives of the characters, the short text snippets of Build from Scratches add a bit of charm and context to the whole experience.

Overall, Build from Scratches is a cozy little game about fixing things. Its colorful, hand-crafted visuals keep the gameplay on a light note, even when some puzzles demand extra work, especially if you’re not familiar with how those items are put together. While these levels can feel overly dependent on trial and error, the game’s clear feedback and the satisfaction of putting objects back together make it a nice and relaxing puzzle experience overall.