Beep Industries has put out another truly original and beautiful little game. We don’t know what they are doing in that company to remain so innovative, but we wish they’d do a lot more of it, because they’re making some really great little games.

Case in point: Four Houses. The gameplay is simple – you must match a full row or column the same color or shape to clear them and get a small Chinese coin on the tile. You add shapes by selecting them from a small conveyor belt that lines up the next four shapes that you will be dealing with. You can also match them diagonally, much like tic-tac-toe. Cover all of the tiles with coins and you clear the level. And that’s it. It’s a shockingly simple game.

The maps are purposefully small, often only three or four squares on a side. This sounds easy, and in truth it is. But as you progress further and further through the game, you will find yourself clicking faster and faster, and looking three or four steps ahead on the conveyor to plan your upcoming moves. The whole experience is extremely relaxing and actually sets the mind at ease.

Of course, the beautiful Chinese watercolor inspired backgrounds and zen-like background music add to the overall feeling of peace and serenity, as does the simple and clean design of the whole game. The out-of-game experience of level maps and subgames is similarly sparse. Every few levels, you are taken to a screen that changes with the seasons, and gives you a bit of Chinese wisdom. The seasonal shifting is well done, and the proverbs are actually interesting, as opposed to cheesy fortune cookie foolishness. In fact, the overall impression is one of respect and genuine interest in Asian culture, rather than the usual “plum blossoms and dragons” exploitation common in other Asian themed games. In all, very refreshing.

It’s a common saying in Japan that a garden is not done when you have added the last thing that needed to be added, but when you have taken away the last thing that can be taken away. Four Houses is that theory in practice, a beautifully simple and stripped down game that is both relaxing and entertaining, if not particularly challenging. Go give it a look, you’ll be amused.

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