Is This Seat Taken?

There's nothing I value more in a game than focus – a game with a clear vision that knows exactly what it aims to be – and Is This Seat Taken from Poti Poti Studio is a fantastic example of that. If a game is a meal, this game is popcorn: light, easy to eat, and a perfectly portioned snack. Is This Seat Taken takes a beautifully simple premise – sitting people in chairs – and iterates on it in consistently creative and exciting ways. Thanks to its cute aesthetics and clever puzzle des...

You have to love indie games. Ideas that probably wouldn’t raise the pulse of the shareholders at Ubisoft or Activision are given the chance to grow and develop, bringing surprises, joy and a range of emotions that their AAA brethren can only hope to emulate. Is This Seat Taken? is the perfect example of this, a cosy puzzler that’s fundamentally about helping people to enjoy where they’re sitting.

Is This Seat Taken? is puzzling at its finest, with a basic concept that is transformed into something intuitive and provides a lot of challenge for those seeking it. The world created is small yet cute and lively, and it actually had me remembering the storylines of some of their main characters. The team didn’t need to do this, but it sure added a level of depth to a gameplay-focused game. I just hope that this will be the type of game that gets more and more DLC, so I can find an excuse ...

I may not be a teacher like some members of my own family, but I recognize the importance of organized seating charts. Seating charts represent order in a society that has rapidly become overwhelmed by anarchy. They aren't just there for the chart maker's benefit. They're there to benefit everybody and that's the idea behind Is This Seat Taken? This debut puzzle game from developer Poti Poti Studio is all about getting everyone to their seats and its execution deserves a standing ovation.

A puzzle game about meeting everyone's demands when finding them somewhere to sit, Is This Seat Taken? is as challenging as it is cosy. You can enjoy it at your own pace, and thanks to its wonderful animation, it's a joy to play.

“How about a puzzle game about not wanting to sit next to certain people” is likely how to pitch for Is This Seat Taken? started. This game is exactly that, a puzzle game trying to find where everyone is meant to be put, whether it’s at a concert, on a bus, in a restaurant, or pretty much any other social function we are forced to deal with people wearing too much cologne, don’t know how to shower, or don’t understand the concept of headphones. It’s a very simple concept for a gam...

Is This Seat Taken? is an incredibly charming and beautifully designed puzzle game that makes its truckload of logic puzzles tactile and fun to play with rather than intimidating. Despite the variety of location types, some core parts of the challenge can become repetitive, but there's more than enough to keep you going to credits.

Short and sweet, Is This Seat Taken? manages to make a joyful puzzle game out of classically uncomfortable social situations. It could have done with a bit more variety, even in its short runtime, but this is one that will speak to a lot of folks.

All in all, Is This Seat Taken is solid pick-up-and-play puzzler. It may not do anything new or unique, but the condition-meeting gameplay loop is primed for anyone after a low-stakes distraction. It won't keep you occupied for hours on end, but it'll do an almighty job of reminding you that your seating preferences are not to be scoffed at.