Chants of Sennaar

Introduction

Chants of Sennaar sends a robed Traveler climbing a Tower of Babel-inspired structure, learning to read and speak five entirely invented languages spoken by five separated, mutually distrustful peoples, using nothing but observation, context and deduction. Developed by Rundisc and published by Focus Entertainment, it released 5 September 2023 for NZ$29.99. Over two years on, it holds 33,660 Steam reviews sitting at Overwhelmingly Positive, roughly 98.2%, with recent sentiment holding close at 97% across its most recent 100 English reviews. This review reads a substantial share of both the negative and positive samples, and finds a game whose central idea draws close to universal acclaim, paired with a specific, dominant complaint about what surrounds it.

A genuinely original core mechanic

Start with what draws the clearest, most consistent praise across this review's sample: the language-deciphering itself. Reviewers repeatedly credit Chants of Sennaar with a genuinely original puzzle hook, learning each civilisation's written and spoken language purely through context, repetition and observed behaviour rather than lookup tables or hand-holding. The five distinct cultures the player encounters each carry their own visual identity and invented script, and reviewers credit the design with real coherence — the tower's ascending levels feel like genuinely different societies rather than reskinned versions of the same puzzle mechanic. Art direction draws matching, consistent praise, reinforcing each level's cultural shift with real visual craft.

A dominant complaint about what surrounds the puzzles

Set against that acclaim, this review's sample shows unusually strong agreement on where the game falls short, and it isn't the puzzles themselves — it's the mechanics packed in around them. Stealth sections are this review's single most-mentioned specific complaint, appearing across nearly half of the negative sample read, with reviewers describing clunky, punishing sneaking sequences that clash badly with the calm, deductive rhythm the language puzzles establish; more than one reviewer reported getting genuinely stuck on a stealth section rather than a language puzzle. Padding compounds the frustration — slow walking speed without a map, extended backtracking through sewer-like labyrinths, and slide-puzzle detours draw consistent, specific criticism as filler diluting rather than extending the core experience. One reviewer, comparing the pattern to COCOON, specifically named this as an emerging subgenre problem: "a unique gimmick and beautiful presentation are paired with repetitive easy tasks masquerading as puzzles" — an observation this review's own read of the wider 2023 puzzle-adventure field independently corroborates. A smaller, more specialised complaint comes from dedicated puzzle fans, several of whom argue the languages themselves stay too simple across all five chapters, and that an in-game auto-translator feature undermines the deduction the game's marketing promises by supplying answers too readily.

A real EULA controversy, reported alongside the publisher's response

This review would be incomplete without addressing a specific, well-documented controversy from launch: Focus Entertainment's end-user licence agreement drew serious concern from players over broad data-collection language, with detailed reviews citing specific clauses — including passages some readers interpreted as covering password collection — and one popular review specifically warning EU players the terms might not comply with regional privacy law. This isn't a single, low-vote allegation; it's a pattern that recurred across multiple detailed, highly upvoted reviews in late 2023. Focus Entertainment has since stated publicly that no personal data, including passwords, is actually collected through Chants of Sennaar specifically, explaining the alarming language came from a standardised EULA template used across its broader catalogue that included provisions not applicable to this game, and the terms have since been amended, including removal of a clause about data retention after uninstallation. This review reports both the original concern and the publisher's clarification rather than adjudicating between them, since verifying what a EULA's fine print actually enables is outside what a review corpus can settle — but readers concerned about the issue should know it was real, specific, and has a documented public response attached to it.

Final Verdict

Chants of Sennaar earns its Overwhelmingly Positive standing through a puzzle concept this review's sample agrees on almost without exception: genuinely original, deduction-based language learning executed with real craft across five distinct, well-realised cultures. What keeps this from an even higher score is a specific, dominant complaint about the mechanics wrapped around that core idea — stealth sections reviewers describe as actively working against the game's own pacing, and padding that dilutes rather than extends the puzzle content that's actually worth playing for. For players willing to push through the parts that aren't language puzzles to reach the parts that are, Chants of Sennaar delivers something genuinely few other games attempt.