Yerba Buena

The game Yerba Buena walks a fine line. One moment, you’re admiring its creativity, its original NPC concept, and its jabs at the video game industry. The next, however, you find yourself waiting for a dialogue to end or trying to figure out why a simple solution just doesn’t work the way it should. The game has promising ideas, but that alone just isn’t enough.

For a relatively short game, around 8-10 hours, this was mostly a slammin’ puzzle adventure. If you want something new with an interesting story and original mechanics then I’d highly recommend this. Priced reasonably at about $36 AU, this is an enjoyable romp through the 70s. Although some more music would have added greatly to the experience, there is enough here to enjoy. Maybe just wait for a sale if you get frustrated with puzzles easily. So that’s the skinny, I gotta skitty back to my crib so keep on steppin.

It’s got its world-building down pat, but the developers forgot to make the world fun to play in at the same time.

I personally enjoyed it. It is an original little game that does have a few rough edges and does not always flow as smoothly as it should. However, its clever level design, entertaining story with a sense of humor, and colorful 1970s stylization all do their part. The result is a great bite-sized experience that should keep genre fans entertained for a solid five hours.

Yerba Buena isn't a game you'll easily forget. Its core mechanics are genuinely original in the world of first-person puzzle platformers, and when they work perfectly, you can feel the difference compared to something built on familiar ideas. The visual presentation is colorful and coherent, with a palette that captures that 1970s California aesthetic without ever becoming cloying (much like American Arcadia did a few years ago). The soundtrack cleverly adapts to the setting. The writing, for the most part, is worth the time invested. For those looking for a puzzle game that has something new to say mechanically and doesn't take itself too seriously narratively, while still finding room for some scathing commentary on gentrification and tech capitalism, Yerba Buena offers a dozen hours that are well worth the investment. I recommend it, knowing that you need to have a certain tolerance for the indie rough edges, for a few bugs that shouldn't have been gold-plated, and for a checkpoint system that sometimes forgets it's there for the player. It's not Portal. It doesn't even try to be, in the way some games overshadow their illustrious predecessors. It's something stranger, more flawed, and at times more interesting. Yerba Buena: good weed, not perfect. So much for those who put mint in their mojitos...

Barb finds herself right inside a video game and has a fantastic device that allows her to change things around her and solve puzzles. But even that sometimes doesn't help her succeed.

Quirky first-person puzzle adventure set in the 1970s

Yerba Buena combines creative weapon-based puzzle mechanics with an engaging story. However, eye-straining color palettes, distant interactions, and tedious level designs hinder the experience. Despite its high potential, it is not suitable for impatient players.

Yerba Buena is one of the smartest and most refreshing first-person puzzle games I’ve played in years, turning world manipulation into a mechanic that feels genuinely original. It constantly challenges the way you think, rewards creativity, and proves that great puzzle design doesn’t need a massive budget to leave a lasting impression.

Yerba Buena manages a solid balance between storytelling and gameplay, with the Oscillator standing out as an inventive and engaging core mechanic. Thanks to its well-designed puzzles and steady progression of ideas, the game delivers a smooth and enjoyable experience that can appeal to both puzzle fans and newcomers.