StrategyFit check
Is Side by Size worth it for you?
We tell you who should skip it, too.
Play it if you…
Good fit- Puzzle players who enjoy manipulating health as part of spatial problem-solving
- Players who prefer short, self-contained challenges over continuous stages
- Completionists interested in revisiting solutions to reduce move counts
Skip it if you…
Saves you a refund- Players who want forgiving attempts may bounce off the zero-HP restart condition
- Players seeking narrative progression or combat systems may find the compact puzzle structure too narrow
- Players who dislike revisiting completed puzzles may have little use for move-count optimization
Our take on Side by Size
The likely bounce point is the health reset rule: reaching zero HP discards the current attempt and requires a restart. Players who treat damage as a minor mistake rather than a puzzle resource may repeatedly lose progress while learning how box size and routes interact.
What is Side by Size?
A retro puzzle game with 100 handcrafted challenges built around changing box sizes through health management.
Taking damage or restoring health alters routes, while switching boxes on or off can open a way to the exit. If health reaches zero, the current attempt restarts. The puzzles are spread across a world map with flexible progression, and nearly a dozen regions add new effects based on the central mechanics. Levels may be skipped and revisited later, while move-count optimization offers an additional goal. Pixel art visuals and chiptune music accompany the puzzles.
How Side by Size plays
- 01Health-Based Layouts
- Damage and healing alter box dimensions, changing the available routes through a puzzle.
- 02World Map
- The 100 puzzles are distributed across a map where levels can be tackled in different orders.
- 03Rule Variations
- Nearly a dozen areas add new consequences to the game's health and box mechanics.
- 04Level Skipping
- Unsolved stages can be bypassed and returned to later.
- 05Move Optimization
- Completed puzzles can be revisited to pursue lower move counts.
Games like Side by Size
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LisiSoftFor:Players who enjoy turn-based-feeling combat with carefully planned shotsSkip if:Players seeking rapid, continuously moving shoot-em-up action may bounce off the slower shot-by-shot pacing.
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Akupara GamesFor:Strategy players who want dice-based deck building instead of card-based systemsSkip if:Players seeking a straightforward combat system without opposing resource effects and health-based risks
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Schell GamesFor:Puzzle fans who want grid movement governed by tile colorsSkip if:Players seeking a story-driven adventure or character-focused progressionPicked by overlapping fit notes and genres, not an editorial comparison.
Side by Size: platforms & release
Is Side by Size worth it?
It is worth it if: puzzle players who enjoy manipulating health as part of spatial problem-solving. Skip it if: players who want forgiving attempts may bounce off the zero-HP restart condition.
Where can I download Side by Size?
Use the Download Now button on this page: it opens Side by Size's store page, where you can choose how to get it.
What platforms is Side by Size on?
Windows only.
