[h3]Contrary to its name, [b]Blackjack Hands[/b] is, in fact, [url=https://asherv.com/threes/]a trumped up version of Threes[/url], a sliding tile puzzle from almost a decade ago. What makes this math merger different is its use of colors and an Ace, that loosely follows the premise of Blackjack. Though its UI is excellent, its lack of tutorial and use of hidden cards makes the game more frustrating than it needs to be.[/h3]
The objective of this [i]Hands[/i] is to create a sum that meets or beats a predetermined "dealer" total per stage. Alternatively, matching 21 at any time is an instant win, even without merging every available card into one. Sounds simple? Well, not so fast... there are inaccessible tiles that don't allow cards to be slid into, "pit" tiles that eat a displayed number of cards on contact, and hidden or facedown cards (in all directions) that don't enter the playing field until you start moving around the board. Oh, and we didn't mention the three "suits," represented only by colors, that have a sort of rock-paper-scissors dominance as to what takes precedence when combined. Contrary to what you'd expect, two of the same color cannot be merged. And finally, Aces can count for 11 or 1 depending on the circumstance.
If you think that's a lot to take in, you'd be right. Considering the complexity, why does this game lacks any sort of tutorial? You're thrown directly into the first stage after launch, with no onscreen indicators that only keyboard arrows work. True, the store page description does say this, but when's the last time you checked a store page for instructions? In fact, the description reveals nothing about the actual rules other than to tell us that you needn't have played Blackjack before. Thus, the early game is an exercise in patience, as you brute force your way to unravel its nuances. It's entirely possible to solve the early ones without understanding the rules at all--such was my experience.
In later stages where cards begin to "invade" from the sides, their location and number are all predetermined. So, then, why not display them as facedown decks, such as in solitaire? Ultimately, you'll clear these stages by memorization from repeated failure. For a game that's heavily math based, I find this poor design and needlessly tedious. Just show us the face values so we can work out the solution!
Personally, I find this one hard to recommend for all but the patient puzzle enthusiast. Luckily, it's priced incredibly low, but even so, I wouldn't get this unless on sale. Your total experience won't last more than an hour at best, and once you know the solutions, there's little value in replay.
[u]Achievement Hunters[/u]: Complete the game. You need a certain number of wins with 21s, but I believe you'll get these naturally given predetermined layouts. ~1hr to 100%. At time of review, restricted, meaning it won't add to profile statistics.
[i]Thanks go to steveywonder75 for the donation.[/i]
