Chants of Sennaar probably isn't for everyone, but it is so much the game for me. Never did I think that a game about sociolinguistics could (1) exist, or (2) be so incredible.

Chants of Sennaar opens with no explanation beyond "click to move". The zeroth area expertly teaches you the main mechanic of the game: using context clues and prior knowledge to decipher glyphs from various fictional languages. For example, the first glyphs the player encounters are Open and Close. These are found on a lever that controls the door, and the player deciphers that the glyph corresponding to the open position of the lever means open, and vice versa for close.

The puzzles build and build on this central concept masterfully. Not only do the puzzles get more difficult, but the languages do too. The first language you must decipher is isolating, with very few grammar morphographemes. Eventually, the game presents you with a fusional and even a synthetic language, with many grammar morphographemes.

Beyond the phenomenal puzzles though, is a phenomenal soundtrack, a phenomenal story, and a phenomenal message. These all come together without ever being presented to the player explicitly. I genuinely cried at the top of the tower when, to avoid spoiling it, all of the game comes together impeccably.

Never have I seen a game whose message so fundamentally spoke to me. The only reason I do not give it a perfect score is due to its movement, which can be annoying at times.

Even if it may not be for everyone, please at least try it out, because Chants of Sennaar is a truly amazing game, on par with the likes of Celeste. It deserved its TGA nomination.