At launch, it seemed popular among a certain group of people to bemoan what the Switch couldn’t do.

Nowadays it’s a different story. And actually more interesting to see what it is capable of. Games that seemingly have no right to run the way they do – DOOM, Skyrim, The Witcher 3, Overwatch – absolutely crushing it.

It’s almost no surprise, then, that more and more developers are ambitiously taking the time to bring their delights to Switch. Like Bulkhead Interactive and their magnificent puzzler, The Turing Test.

The game is a notoriously stunning indie, really pushing the limits of the hardware it runs on. An Unreal Engine 4 darling, the visuals really glisten and sparkle as the player is taken into outer space to work at a research station.

Seeing it play full spec on PC, you’d be forgiven for thinking it doesn’t have a chance on Switch’s small screen, but what’s been achieved here is nothing short of impressive.

In fact, one could argue the portability is a perfect match for The Turing Test. Lag is unnoticeable and to a bare minimum, loading screens are surprisingly fast and the team have made smart choices in the way they’ve ported it.

Best of all, it looks stunning, seemingly defying expectations every time you turn a corner.

We’ve seen Switch ports done very badly, to the point where the game is borderline unplayable, but this definitely isn’t one of those.

True, it’s been a while since it first launched back in 2016 and you’ll definitely feel like some games have improved upon the formula The Turing Test set out, but this a great puzzle game that still holds up really well.

Plus the presentation, voice acting, and general flow to the game really make it a total package, offering enough suspense and intrigue to keep you ploughing through the puzzles, while also giving you sufficient challenge to tax the old grey matter.

True, it’s the usual type of fare – moving crates, unobstructing the flow of light, activating bridges and using magnets to transfer items – so the game never really does anything you haven’t seen before, yet still manages to drip-feed the puzzles at a steady enough pace so as not to feel predictable or stale.

And don’t get me wrong, this isn’t the toughest puzzler I’ve played – though there were a few times I had to stop for a while to really think about what I was doing – but I’m impressed by The Turing Test in more ways than one.

All told, though, it’s been a while since I’ve really sunk my teeth into a good puzzler and this one not only plays like a dream on Switch, but it was a really enjoyable ride through to the conclusion. Highly recommended.

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The Turing Test is now available on Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Played on Switch

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