Core Mechanic: As the imaginary friend, though, you're able to shift in and out of shadows. You can use them as platforms to walk on, bridges, etc. As the game progresses, puzzles are integrated with the shadow interaction. There is no combat, you simply experience the story, and help Didi on her path to reuniting her parents.
I chose to look at the first part of this pirate ship ride which you have to fix so that Didi can ride it. The pirate ship ride is part of a larger carnival where you have to fix other rides through puzzles.
What I think is nice about this first puzzle in the ship is the fact that it builds progressively, and does so at a good pace--not too fast, not too slow.
The puzzle also re-uses numerous mechanics to fill itself out: pulling yourself onto ledges, turning on switches, moving in and out of rooms with shadows, picking up objects, having a time limit...the list goes on and on. But all of these combine seamlessly. As a player, you don't feel like you're being overwhelmed with a plethora of mechanics, instead it feels like you're just getting a good variety. After all, when mechanics are overused they can become incredibly boring and monotonous.
The puzzles are also somewhat directed, the designers do a lot to indicate that something is important. For example, they switch camera angles to show you the door opening when you put pressure on the pads. There are also glowing and sparkly particles around things that you can interact with. The rest is left up to your own logic, and it's not too difficult to come to a natural conclusion. This gives the player the feeling that they've done most of the heavy lifting, mentally speaking, in the puzzle. The parts that the game helped you with weren't holding your hand through the puzzle.
Here's a video I put together which highlights some general points about the puzzle!:
