Get a Little Romantic in Our Ways, a Challenging Puzzle Game
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Our Ways ($1.99) by Rolling Pig Studio is a challenging puzzle game that explores the philosophies behind relationships. If you enjoyed games like Sally's Law and Kalimba, then you'll get a kick out of Our Ways.
When life gets stressful, I like to sit back and unwind with video games, preferably on my iOS devices or Nintendo Switch these days. I also prefer spending time with my boyfriend to help me relax, because I just feel better when he's around. So naturally, when I saw Our Ways on the App Store, I was intrigued. This is a puzzle game (one of my favorite genres) that's about relationships, so how could I resist as a hopeless romantic?
Sally's Law
Nanali Inc.
Kalimba™
Flashbulb ApS
Visually, Our Ways features a simple and clean minimalistic art style that looks great on the eyes. Anyone who likes minimalism is sure to appreciate the visuals in Our Ways. Everything is rendered in 2D and the animations are smooth and fluid on my iPhone 8 Plus. Our Ways makes use of a wide color palette that features both soft pastels and more bright and vibrant hues. To top things off, Our Ways has an ambient and atmospheric piano soundtrack in the background that's sure to get you in the mood to solve the puzzles ahead of you.
In Our Ways, there's a total of 64 levels spread out across eight different themes. These themes are all related to relationships in the real world, so there's actual meaning behind everything. The goal in Our Ways is to help two colored dots meet each other, but like real life, this can be harder than you think. There will always be obstacles in your path, and you must make it to each other without hitting any hazards.
Controls in Our Ways are simple, but do take some practice to master. The game can be played with one or two players. To move one of the dots, just place your thumb in the colored section (that the dot isn't in) that corresponds to the dot you want to move. Drag your thumb around and the dot moves according to your thumb's movements. If you hit the wall or some other obstacle, that means you've failed and have to try again.
As each dot moves, they'll leave behind footsteps. These are supposed to represent the paths that each of us take to establish our relationships with others. They show us how we overcome the difficulties that are ahead of us, and each result ends up being unique to us. The complete result will vary depending on how many "steps" each dot took — sometimes one ends up more than the other.
There are multiple ways to complete the puzzles in Our Ways, so you can play it at your own leisure. There's no right or wrong way to play.
If you're colorblind, don't worry — there's a colorblind setting that you can toggle. This gets rid of all of the color and replaces it all with grayscale.
A romantic platformer in which you try to move two colored dots to meet each other.
The Good
Our Ways is a great little puzzle game with a straightforward meaning behind it all. The minimal graphics are sure to appeal to those who believe "less is more," and the music puts your soul at ease. The controls are simple but take time and practice to master. And since there's no time limits or restrictions, everyone can play this at their own pace, and all solutions end up being distinctive. It's relaxing and helps us visualize how we can overcome obstacles for our real life relationships.
The Bad
While Our Ways is an excellent puzzle game, I do wish that it was a bit easier to control the dots. When doing single player, it seems incredibly easy to have one dot go off course and run into a wall. I think the sensitivity could be better optimized to prevent this, so hopefully the developer considers it in a future update.
The verdict
Overall, Our Ways is a great little gem to have on your iOS device. The puzzles look easy enough, but they're much more challenging than you think at first glance. The minimalistic art style is well done and looks excellent on Retina screens, and the colorblind option is nice to have. There's plenty of content for the price, and this is a nice game for two people to play at once.
I recommend checking out Our Ways if you're in the mood for a relaxing puzzle game that explores relationships. You can get Our Ways on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for $1.99. There are no in-app purchases.
8.1
OVERALL
Replayability 8
Game Controls 8
Graphics 8
Sound/Music 8
Gameplay 8.5
Our Ways
Rolling Pig Studio
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!["PUSH" is a Puzzle Game All About Pushing Your Buttons](https://midatlanticconsulting.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/8_175x175bb.jpg ""PUSH" is a Puzzle Game All About Pushing Your Buttons")
"PUSH" is a Puzzle Game All About Pushing Your Buttons
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
"PUSH" ($0.99) by Maciej Targoni is a zen-like puzzle game about pushing buttons. If you enjoyed other recent puzzle games like Lynk and Linelight, then you're bound to enjoy PUSH.
Let's face it — life gets stressful, and we all have different ways to de-stress. My preferred way is to kick back with some video games, preferably puzzles as I find them relaxing yet stimulating, and a great way to pass the time. While I feel like I've tried pretty much every puzzle game there is on the App Store, I can't help but keep an eye out for new ones as they release. So when I heard of "PUSH" a few weeks ago, I had to check it out. It's another great game from the minds behind Klocki, Zenge, and Art of Gravity.
Lynk.
Michael Le
Linelight
Brett Taylor
"klocki"
Maciej Targoni
Zenge
Michal Pawlowski
Art Of Gravity
Michal Pawlowski
Visually, PUSH is gorgeous with a minimal art style that's simple and pleasing at the same time. Like the other games from the developer, it's fully rendered in 3D, with a dash of optical illusion magic going on. While it's not a perspective puzzle like Monument Valley, the angle at which you view things in PUSH depend on how the object is rotated. PUSH makes use of a no-frills color palette that consists of soft pastels and various shades of white, gray, and black. The subtle glows of the buttons as you push them or successfully complete a puzzle are soothing.
Animations are subtle, smooth, and fluid with no lag on my iPhone 8 Plus. PUSH also has a tranquil atmospheric soundtrack that plays in the background, which I found delightful. The clicking sound effects are also a nice touch. Overall, the developer did an excellent job with PUSH's visual and audio design.
Like many other puzzle games before it, PUSH is level-based. Players must complete the puzzle that they're currently on before they can move on to the next one. The goal is easy and straightforward: push the buttons and figure out the correct sequence so that all buttons are pressed. There are no move restrictions, time limits, points, or stars to worry about, so you can play the game at your own pace.
Controls in PUSH are effortless and intuitive. To push a button on the object, just tap on it. Of course, things get much more complicated as you progress. Eventually, you'll have to figure out the correct sequence to push the buttons in, otherwise, previously pushed buttons are depressed, so you lose progress! Some stages involve large objects with multiple sides, so you have to rotate to see all of the buttons. Once all of the buttons are pushed and stay down, then you've successfully solved the puzzle.
While this all sounds easy, it's not. You'll begin to find buttons that are appear to have a numbered order to them, but you still have to figure out if they're supposed to be pushed in ascending or descending order. Then there are buttons with directional arrows on them, cubes to push around on the stage, and much more. The beginning is easy, but once new tiles are added, PUSH gets tricky.
PUSH is another gem of a puzzle game from Maciej Targoni that does not disappoint.
PUSH is another gem of a puzzle game from Maciej Targoni that does not disappoint. The game looks stunning with a simple and clean aesthetic, and the music is definitely helpful in easing your mind and soul after a long day. While there are no tutorials or guides to help you understand, I found everything to be rather straightforward and easy to pick up on your own. Controls are simple enough, and the difficulty curve is gradual.
There's a lot of good stuff going on with PUSH, but this is not a game for everyone. If you don't like puzzle games that make the gears in your head turn, then this game isn't for you. This is a game that is relaxing and stimulating, so if you're in the mood for something with more action, then PUSH is not what you're looking for. But if you do want a challenging puzzle that doesn't put much pressure on you, then PUSH is worth a purchase.
The verdict
Overall, PUSH is a great puzzle game to add to your iOS game collection. The graphics are eye appealing and the sound is charming. While it explains nothing, you're able to pick up on the game mechanics as you tinker around, so it's friendly enough for everyone. I do wish that the game provided some different color theme options, just to spice things up a bit, but it's not a big deal. It's unclear how many levels there are, because you have to go through them in linear fashion. But from what I see, there's plenty of content for the price.
I recommend giving "PUSH" a try if you're a fan of sequence puzzle games. You can find "PUSH" on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $0.99. There are no in-app purchases.
9.1
OVERALL
Game Controls 10
Graphics 9.5
Sound/Music 9
Gameplay 9
Replayability 8
"PUSH"
Maciej Targoni
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It's About the Journey, Not the Destination in Wheels of Aurelia
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Wheels of Aurelia ($3.99) by Santa Ragione is an interactive visual novel that takes you on a journey of self-discovery. If you enjoyed other titles like Old Man's Journey and Artificial Superintelligence, then you'll like what Wheels of Aurelia has to offer.
While I like to think I have an interesting life, I know that it's not the case, as much as I'd like it to be. Fortunately, there's always video games that allow me to live the life I've always dreamed of having, because there's so much variety in what I can achieve in a digital medium. When the news of Wheels of Aurelia hit my inbox, I became intrigued because I've always wanted to go on a road trip, but the opportunity has never really come up for me. Now I can kind of live that life thanks to this interactive novel.
Old Man's Journey
Broken Rules Interactive Media GmbH
Artificial Superintelligence
Grailr LLC
Horizon Chase - World Tour
Aquiris Realidade Virtual LTDA
Visually, Wheels of Aurelia has a kind of modern retro aesthetic to it, similar to Horizon Chase. This means a low-poly world that's both cute and charming, appealing to those who miss the vintage style. Everything is rendered in 3D, and Italy looks as bright and vibrant as ever during the 1970's. The character portraits are drawn in 2D fashion and look incredibly realistic. Each character you end up interacting with has their own unique personality and dialogue. Animations are smooth and fluid, and the dialogue text is easy to read. The game also has a quirky soundtrack that's fun to listen to, and the sound effects are a nice touch.
In Wheels of Aurelia, you play as the bold and spunky Lella as she embarks on a road trip across Italy during the 1970's. Lella has a bit of a checkered background that gets unraveled as you play, meeting many different and unpredictable characters along the way. It's a journey about self-discovery, and this is made abundantly clear as you hit the streets. The dialogue that you choose for Lella to say in response to others affects everyone involved, and there's a total of 16 different endings you can get. Remember — Wheels of Aurelia is all about the journey, not the destination.
The controls in Wheels of Aurelia is simple, though at times it can feel a bit overwhelming since a lot of multitasking can be involved. As Lella drives the car, you can swipe left or right to change lanes or hit stops in the road. Since the road is just one lane both ways, you'll want to go into the opposite lane to pass up slower cars in front of you, but watch out for oncoming traffic. As you drive, Lella has rather engrossing conversations with the people she meets along the way in the car, and you'll want to go through the available dialogue options (swipe vertically) and pick the one you think is best.
Depending on your choices in Wheels of Aurelia, the story for each attempt ranges from short to lengthy. Once a storyline concludes, you get a scene with text that explains what happened to Lella's passenger, as well as what Lella does afterwards with her own past.
After you're done with one attempt, you can choose to play again and try to get a different ending. After all, there are 16 endings you can get. The neat thing is the fact that you can choose what chapter to start from, instead of the beginning each time. On top of that, you can pick a new set of wheels each time, and you can also unlock new cars throughout the story.
As you play Wheels of Aurelia, you'll probably end up hearing about many cultural and political references from characters, as well as places. There's a "Wheelspedia" that you can access at any time to read explanations detailing the significance of these references.
A change of pace game that is about discovering the storyline through road trip choices.
The Good
Wheels of Aurelia is a quirky and endearing interactive novel game. The graphics are a great combination of modern and retro, and the characters have distinctive appearances to them that make them stand out. The storyline is captivating from the get-go, and the setting is a great blast from the past. All of the people you meet are special in their own way, and it brings life to the story. Choosing Lella's dialogue is an easy affair, and the swipe controls for changing lanes is intuitive. Having 16 different endings and the option to choose a starting chapter means you can skip the beginning and get right to the fun stuff.
The Bad
While Wheels of Aurelia is a pretty solid game, I did get a bit overwhelmed with having to keep an eye on the road and choose dialogue at the same time. I know — multitasking is great, but if I'm in a street race, I want to concentrate on that first, and not have a bunch of dialogue on the screen that I can't read. I think the controls could be better optimized for situations like that, or at least have less going on the screen at once.
The verdict
While I'm not usually big into interactive visual novels, Wheels of Aurelia is an exception. I'm loving the visual style of the game, and the music is delightful. Controls are simple enough for everyone to enjoy, and the character development and endings are done well. The game's all about the journey rather than the destination, and I think that's a great outlook on life in general. I may not have been on an actual road trip yet, but this game gives me a sample taste of it.
I recommend giving Wheels of Aurelia a try if you're in the mood for a narrative experience. You can find Wheels of Aurelia on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $3.99.
8.5
OVERALL
Graphics 9
Sound/Music 9
Replayability 8.5
Game Controls 8
Gameplay 8
Wheels of Aurelia
Santa Ragione s.r.l.
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Campfire Cooking is One Delectable Treat for Puzzle Lovers
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Campfire Cooking ($3.99) by Layton Hawkes is a delectable puzzle game about cooking meals over a warm, toasty fire. If you love campfire meals but don't want to deal with the hassle of real-world camping, then Campfire Cooking is the perfect treat for you. It's similar to other games like Slayaway Camp, in the fact that it's like a Sokoban-style puzzle.
When I'm feeling a bit stressed, I like to unwind with either video games or food. Yes, I know — stress eating can be unhealthy. Fortunately, when I heard of Campfire Cooking, I knew that this was something I absolutely had to have, as it combines two of my favorite things into one! While I heard nothing about Campfire Cooking before this week, I must say that this is one of the best games I've purchased as of late. It satisfies both my sweet tooth and craving for puzzle games.
Slayaway Camp
Blue Wizard Digital LP
Visually, Campfire Cooking is stunning and beautiful. The game has a kind of cartoonish aesthetic with the characters and food, but it's done gracefully so it's not over-the-top. The food looks simple yet appetizing, and the campfires have a soothing look and feel to them that mimics the real thing nicely. There's several different environments to set up camp in, and they all have a believable appearance. The vignette around the screen edges is a nice touch, as it puts the focus on the puzzles.
All animations are smooth and fluid, with no lag on my iPhone 8 Plus. The game features an upbeat and quirky soundtrack with realistic sound effects as food cooks over the fire. Overall, the developer did an excellent job with Campfire Cooking's visual and audio design.
Like other puzzle games, Campfire Cooking is level-based. At the moment, there are eight different trails (chapters) for players to explore, and each one contains about 10 puzzles for you to solve. The nice thing, though, is the fact that you can play the stages in any order, so if you're stuck, you can just try a different level. However, you do need to solve a certain amount before the next trail gets unlocked.
The nicest thing about Campfire Cooking is that even though it's a puzzle game, there's still some rather endearing characters and story to everything. In Campfire Cooking, you'll meet a grandpa who takes his grandkids out camping for vacation. There's plenty of stories to share with everyone, along with many jokes and moaning about cell phone reception. These scenes take place between puzzles and are sure to bring a smile to your face.
Controls in Campfire Cooking are simple. In each puzzle, there are metal and wooden skewers of marshmallows that you can twist and rotate on the board. The goal is to get everything evenly cooked on the flames. To make a skewer move, just slide it in the direction you want — they spin as they slide over. It can't move if there's no space to fit the marshmallows, and it can't cross over other skewers. To rotate a skewer (wooden sticks only, no metal), just drag over it until you see curved arrows, and then move your finger until the arrow is filled. If the space allows for it, that wooden stick will rotate.
Eventually, there are other camp meals that you'll have to cook, including various soups in pots. The pots can't move on their own — you need to push them around with skewers, and even magnets are introduced later. The pots just need to go into the flame once to be prepared, but marshmallows must be toasted on both sides and not burnt. However, some levels start off with burned marshmallows, and you must use these to set the fire on the board in order to prepare the non-burned food. Some puzzles are a piece of cake, while others are definitely not a walk in the park.
Start up the campfire, and get ready to think about roasting marshmallows.
The Good
Campfire Cooking is a genius and fresh new take on puzzle games. The visual style is unique and rather realistic for a cartoonish aesthetic, and the music is delightful to listen to. Plus, who can resist the sound of a marshmallow toasting up over an open fire? The game concept is simple enough, but the puzzles can get tricky, making you truly use your head. The family-friendly characters are relatable as well, making this a fantastic puzzle game for anyone.
The Bad
Honestly, Campfire Cooking is an excellent game. However, if you're the kind of person who doesn't enjoy puzzles that make you use your head, then you may get frustrated with this one. Still, I think it's best to give this one a shot, because you may change your mind.
The verdict
Overall, Campfire Cooking is one of the best puzzle games you can get for your iOS device. The game looks gorgeous, and the sound mimics the camping experience. The controls are easy to learn and optimized for touch screens, so there's no issues there. The puzzles have a nice complexity to them, ranging from easy to tricky, but once you figure out a puzzle you've been stuck on, it's incredibly satisfying. Having the option to play levels in any order you want is also a nice perk.
I highly recommend Campfire Cooking if you're a puzzle fan. You can find Campfire Cooking on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $3.99. There are no in-app purchases.
9.6
OVERALL
Graphics 10
Sound/Music 10
Gameplay 10
Replayability 9
Game Controls 9
Campfire Cooking
Layton Hawkes
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Question Everything in ICEY, an Intense Hack-n-Slash Action Game
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
ICEY ($2.99) by X.D. Network is a side-scrolling action game that's rather meta in and of itself. This is a mobile port of the ICEY game that was released on Steam in November 2016. If you enjoy other hack-n-slash titles like Super Samurai Rampage and Severed, then you'll like what ICEY brings to the table, but it's not without some flaws.
When I'm feeling a bit stressed, I enjoy getting my pent up frustrations out through video games. There's nothing better feeling than just unleashing a flurry of attacks on some digital enemies and watching them fall, you know? While I haven't heard of ICEY until now, I knew that this was a game I had to check out after seeing screenshots and video of the gameplay. And while I'm liking it so far, it definitely isn't without some flaws.
Super Samurai Rampage
Brackish Games
Severed
DRINKBOX STUDIOS INC.
Visually, ICEY is gorgeous. The game features a heavily anime-inspired aesthetic to it, especially with ICEY's character design. ICEY is rendered in 2D, but the backgrounds are rather detailed and provide a bit of depth to everything, so it's almost like pseudo-3d. Environments are fairly detailed and textured, along with enemy robots. If you're an anime fan, you'll feel right at home. ICEY has smooth and fluid animations, so there was no issue with lag on my iPhone 8 Plus. The atmospheric and ambient soundtrack is soothing to listen to, and the sound effects are done well. On top of that, the unique narration that you hear as you play is incredibly human-like and sounds natural, but will make you question everything. As you may have guessed, this is where the meta part of the game comes into play.
Since ICEY is a side-scrolling action game, players must go through everything in linear fashion. You'll navigate through a series of connected rooms in order, and the only way to proceed is to clear out all enemies in the room you're in. There are also some tough boss fights that you'll be put up against. The game starts you off with a tutorial that explains all of the controls and basic actions to you, which I recommend paying attention to because things can get a bit tricky. The story is a bit generic and cliché, involving the typical hero who awakens from a deep slumber and must set out to defeat an evil villain trope that's been overdone.
The narrator will narrate everything that occurs on the screen, and even point you in the right direction to make progress, but you may not always want to listen. The meta part of the game involves breaking free of an omnipresent force and forging your own path. After all, can you really trust a mysterious omnipresent force like that without questioning its true motives?
Controls in ICEY are simple, but take a bit of time and practice to fully master. In the bottom left corner is your virtual joystick for horizontal movement. The bottom right corner has four buttons placed in a diamond formation, and each one is labeled with a number and a symbol. With the "01" button, you perform a basic attack. The "02" performs a heavy attack, which is capable of breaking through enemy defenses. The "03" allows you to jump (double tap for double jump) and "04" does a dash forward. Eventually you get a "05" button in the very bottom corner that lets you do special attacks once you've unlocked them.
While the game does a good job of explaining the controls, I wish that there was the option to change key bindings. I often found myself pressing the wrong button because I'm used to controls from other games, and end up dashing instead of attacking, or attacking rather than jumping. Hopefully the developers consider giving players the option to customize the button positions or bindings for a bit more freedom and streamlining in with the controls in the future.
ICEY's health bar is shown in the top left corner. Underneath the blue health bar is the yellow shield gauge (looks like arrows pointing right). The shield protects her from some damage but has to recharge after it's depleted. Performing a dash uses one charge, and you only have three available at a time. However, dash charges refill quickly enough, so you shouldn't have an issue with being completely out.
The key behind ICEY are combos...a lot of combos. The damage that ICEY does is increased for each consecutive hit that she's able to land. She's also capable of executing crazy combos from the ground and air alike, so it's best to experiment. And make sure to break through enemy defenses with her heavy attack so then you can unleash your fury.
For those of you who care about trophies and achievements, there are plenty to discover and unlock in ICEY. You'll also come across floating panels that can be activated with a hit from ICEY. These allow you to get upgrades for ICEY's moves and abilities by spending the cash you acquire from defeated foes. It's important to take advantage of these when you come across them, because they'll make battles easier.
ICEY is an intense side-scrolling action hack-n-slash style game that is rather meta.
The Good
ICEY is a great little side-scrolling action game that is sure to delight fans of the genre. The anime style art is polished and appealing, while the music and sound effects are a nice touch. The controls work well enough but require time and practice to master. The game's story is the typical fare, but the meta part with the narration and questioning of the omnipresent force is a nice element to the game. Battles are fun and intense, and should appeal to fans of hack-n-slash action.
The Bad
While ICEY is pretty good for the most part, it's not without flaws. I mentioned earlier that the controls should be customizable with the bindings, as it would streamline the process for players who are used to other key bindings for similar games. Also, the difficulty level, even on Easy, can be a bit hard because of the controls. Hopefully the developer can fix that.
The verdict
Overall, ICEY is definitely a game that fans of the side-scrolling hack-n-slash action genre should check out. The game features amazing visual style, great sound, and the narration can be rather humorous and serious at the same time. Controls are okay, but should be fixed in the future. The key to victory in battles is dependent on your combos, so make sure to mash on those buttons and land as many hits as you can. The game says "don't think, just fight," and that's exactly what you'll want to do when robots are trying to get you.
I recommend giving ICEY a try if you're looking for a fun and frantic hack-n-slash game. You can find ICEY on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $2.99. There are no in-app purchases.
8.1
OVERALL
Graphics 9
Replayability 8
Sound/Music 8.5
Gameplay 8
Game Controls 7
ICEY
X.D. Network Inc.
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credit : appadvice
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