Oleg Malyshko’s Ancient Knowledge is a 3D puzzle-platformer that recently launched on Steam for PC. The game is a low-poly, Prince of Persia-style clone that hearkens back to the old-school days of 3D computer gaming when Montezuma’s Revenge and King’s Quest: Mask of Eternity were all the rage.

The gameplay in Ancient Knowledge centers around exploring an ancient civilization from the mid-east, all while attempting to uncover the secrets of the ruined settlements and avoid the traps and dangers that have been placed around the villages to deter interlopers.

Even though the game is a low-poly affair, it’s obvious that the aesthetics are designed around capturing the look and feel of ancient India. There’s a gameplay video below from YouTuber AllGamesWorldHD that give you an idea of what the actual gameplay is like.

You’ll venture through the abandoned bazaar, the empty city streets, and the trap-filled floors of the palaces as you venture deeper into the mystical region.

There’s a mixture of reflex-based platforming, some interactive puzzle elements, and various temples to explore and traps to avoid.

It reminds me of a mix between Road to India: Between Hell and Nirvana and a 3D version of Pharaoh’s Ascent.

Conceptually it’s not bad. Mixing in puzzle-solving with 3D platforming is always a welcome addition to the gaming arena, especially since the only other notable alternative out there is the Tomb Raider games. But as far as the execution is concerned, the jumping physics are too floaty, and the character moves around with radial imprecision. The environments look a little sparse as far as accouterments are concerned, and there’s not a lot of tooltips to help newcomers along.

Tightened up controls, better jumping physics, more refined character movements, and compact but intriguing environments might help make Ancient Knowledge feel more polished, assuming that’s something the developer wanted to achieve.

Anyway, there aren’t many reviews in for Ancient Knowledge, but it’s only available for $12.99 over on the Steam store, so it’s not the most expensive investment you could make. You can learn more by checking out the store page or picking up a copy if you’re really hard-up for a retro-style 3D puzzle-platformer.

(Thanks for the news tip Durka Durka)