Escort missions are one of the most abhorred methods in video games, but the solo-developed platformer "Moons Of Darsalon" (opens in new tab) boldly puts them on full display. "Darsalon" is in the vein of "Lemmings puzzle platformer whose job is to seek out hapless "Darsonauts" on vast levels and deliver them to safety.

The concept inherently stresses me out about having to keep the little dummies alive, but thankfully they have some pretty clever path-finding abilities, and as a navigation challenge it's slapdash enough but doesn't feel like a millstone. Darsalon also allows you to set your own pace, depending on the difficulty level. The "Normal" mode is one where you earn one star out of four, rescue the Darsalon crew at a minimum, and set no optional goals. Don't let perfection be a good thing.

More daring players can seek out the level's secrets, get every single Darson crew member out alive, and also adhere to the secondary goals I mentioned. These secondary requirements in particular struck me as a clever way of adding difficulty on the part of the developer, Dr. Kucho, and a non-sided thought that worked well with the puzzle solving of the game itself. There are some very ordinary goals, such as completing a level within the time limit or with no damage, but there are some really interesting curveballs, such as forgoing the use of a terrain-generating gun on a level where it seems essential, or being tied up backwards while the mission is in progress.

By the way, you are right, I said "terrain generating gun." Like Pizza Tower and the best Mario games, Moons of Darsalon is full of ideas that could be the core of each platformer. The standard laser gun can destroy terrain and create new paths within a level, while the ground maker can rebuild terrain and even build bridges across vast valleys. Jet packs can be used to soar through the level and fight flying enemies, but they cannot take the Darsons with them, so another path must be found for them. However, it cannot take the Darsons with it, so we must find another way for them. In later levels, there will be large space trucks and descent craft that will carry the Darsons to unfriendly skies.

Each level requires solving a separate puzzle, and coupled with the high tension of caring for the Darsons, Moons Of Darsalon is by my count a perfectly sessionable game. Fortunately, it works fine right out of the box on Steam Deck, even without the green verified badge. I think this game is a great lunch break game and especially enjoyable on the go. [In particular, the silicon graphics-style sprite work, reminiscent of the heyday of early 3D rendering, is condensed into a form that can be digested by 90s consumer electronics...Darsalon features shiny "Forbidden Planet"-esque technology like ray guns and UFOs over a mossy mountain-like background The paintings recall the matte painted backgrounds of classic science fiction.

It's also very whimsical and playful, with the cheeky speech bubbles and wiggly animations of the Darsonnauts giving it an over-the-top personality." I hope no one sees this..." My character said this after crashing into a wall with a jetpack. He also declared. [Moons of Darsalon] is a really fun, inventive and memorable platformer, perfect for quickly solving pesky puzzles, available now on Steam (opens in a new tab) for $17 (down from the usual $20) and fully committed to Darsalon's journey to the moon! You can even try out the free demo before committing fully to Darsalon's journey to the moon.