Dabado Puzzles

[i]Dabado Puzzles[/i] is a very difficult puzzle game that takes its inspiration from the classic Tetris, but provides a completely different approach to block stacking. The objective in every level is to place the blocks in a configuration that allows you to reach certain spots. While in Tetris the goal is to fill up lines to the full, in [i]Dabado[/i] you’ll have to spread them out as much as possible (keeping them connected and on top of each other), and extend your construction in all directions. What you obtain in the end is not a wall of tiles, but a branching structure, very much resembling a tree, like so: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2546901734 This is however easier said than done. Each level starts with a specific configuration in the number of blocks and shapes available - this is always the same, no matter how many times you try a level, but the order in which they fall will always be random (aside from some specific restrictions). The player is challenged to find an optimal way to place these blocks on a grid-like structure of which certain spots give points, while others represent collectibles or items needed to unlock the next level. The game uses two main types of currencies : [i]light[/i] - which is needed in vast amounts in order to reach the next level, and [i]buttons[/i] - rare spawns that you can collect and exchange for bonuses / perks / light restoration. Lastly, some of these spots on the grid (very few though) can add a couple of random blocks to your stash given that your construction reaches them, thus providing you with a few more moves. Considering that the level setup is always the same, [i]Dabado[/i] is more or less a “find-the-developer-solution” kind of game. It’s a game in which you’ll have to try a level several times until you find the correct way (or the “expected way”) to approach it. After that, you’ll have to try it again to reach a different stage inside the level. And after that, you’ll have to retry it several dozens of times more, in order to gather the necessary light to progress to the next level. And ultimately, you’ll have to try it a few times more to gather the items needed to unlock the next level. For reference, in order to reach the next objective, you’ll often need 50 - 70 light points (sometimes more) and assuming you usually get 1 - 3 points for completing a level, that easily puts the number of repetitions between 25 and 70 times for each stage, depending on how well you play. Obtaining more than 3 points is also doable, especially after the first major update to the game (Sep 2021) that introduced the concept of symmetry: by creating symmetrical constructions, one can stack up the points fairly easily, and in some levels getting a 6 score in a matter of seconds is also possible now. However, this newly added feature also has its caveats: in order to make proper use of it, one has to unlock a certain ability first (being able to choose the shape of the next block) which also requires a lot of prior grinding. Frankly, the game is a complete grindfest and while I normally don’t mind the grinding aspect of a game, in [i]Dabado[/i], I approached degrees of frustration. Most of the time the reward for completing a level was not satisfactory enough and the sheer amount of time and work needed to reach the next level (plus, more or less the same kind of work because of the strict block setup for each level) was off-putting. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2546900640 The fact that the block order is random would imply some sort of liberty in reaching a solution and the need to develop a strategy more or less, but in practice it all boils down to applying the same recipe for solving a level, with some minimal changes between two separate tries due to the random order of falling blocks. But for one specific level, you’ll always have to go for this and that first, start building in this and that area and expand in this and that direction. Some of these tries will fail, not because the recipe is wrong (once you discover it, it’s as good as it gets), but because you’ll end up getting the right block at the wrong time. Some blocks will thus be stripped of any usefulness, and that will affect your chances to win. There is a power-up you can buy from the shop that allows you to pick a different block during a level, and which can be used twice per level - this helps, but it certainly does not ensure your victory or make it substantially easier. In my opinion, a flawed mechanic is that after you complete the victory condition (usually grabbing a key item located in the center of the level, and which is mandatory for level completion, regardless of any other factors), you are not able to spend your remaining blocks and expand your construction further, to reach other items as well. The idea behind this is that you have to plan ahead your construction based on the blocks you are given, and grab the key as the last item before the end of the level, but in practice the blocks that you’d want to use for that come much earlier and as a consequence they will have to be used for other purposes, leaving the end part of the level somewhat uncovered. If you manage to gather all the scroll segments that spawn inside a level you unlock a scroll that describes in detail a meditation technique - perhaps good to try if you’re not a patient person by nature and you’re in need of something to calm down before attempting the next stage. Apart from these scrolls, there are other types of collectibles but all have extremely rare spawn values. Some of them unlock new locations on the map that give you some instant bonuses, other (mysterious boxes) even contain other collectibles that spawn inside the same level after the first one is picked up, making it almost impossible for you to get all because you won't have enough blocks to reach them - unless you discover that one specific arrangement of blocks that manages to reach all these in one go (fortunately, the box spawns again if you place the first block at a specific location, allowing you to try different setups). Gathering all 10 scrolls and completing all the levels will unlock corresponding achievements, but there are a couple of missable achievements too. It’s pretty difficult to estimate how much time one would need for a 100% completion, since there are bonus levels as well and play styles differ, but I’d place it somewhere between 20-40h. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2546900970 In terms of presentation, [i]Dabado[/i]’s hand-drawn art style impresses through the original block shapes and the color palette. It’s a beautiful game, filled with nature sounds - birds chirping, river flowing, generating a refreshing and a spiritual ambiance. I also loved the meditative soundtrack and the mystic drawings used during levels. These bring a bit of relaxation in an otherwise borderline stressful gameplay. [i]Dabado Puzzles[/i] is a brilliant idea made frustratingly difficult by the cruel RNG. It needs just a few parameter tweaks for me to call it a great game. As it is now, I can recommend it only to people who don’t mind doing the same thing over and over again for a few hours straight and to those who have enough patience to try a level many times until they reach some sort of progress. The target audience for the game consists of people who enjoy finicky pre-planning of moves, trial & error, and ultimately those who don't give up in front of difficult games - I’d go as far as in calling [i]Dabado Puzzles[/i] “the Dark Souls of the puzzle genre”. Overall, I enjoyed the gameplay but my experience would have been much better without the unnecessary grinding aspect. It would be great if the game had an alternative difficulty mode (an easier one), so that more people can enjoy it.

[b]disclaimer:[/b] [i]I did some beta testing before release.[/i] [b]dabado puzzles[/b] is a gorgeous tetris-like, and sadly that's pretty much all the praise I can give. weird shapes of varying weight are falling, try to arrange them in a way that some of them will eventually touch and collect keys (they end the level immediately, so leave them for last), goal and special items, etc. so yeah, tetris with some fluff, pointless abbreviations, a narrative of sorts, and some unnecessarily complicated (or simply unnecessary) resource management. the store page clearly states what the game is about, though not in so many words: [b]grinding the same levels over and over, and if you're not careful, you can reach an actual fail state and have to start over from the beginning[/b]. kudos for mentioning important aspects up-front and not hiding them at the bottom where nobody would notice (that's one of the very few pieces of feedback they took into consideration), but the game is [b]extremely unrewarding[/b]. what's the point of dozens of levels (10 main, 15 additional, etc.), when you'll spend repeating the first couple ad nauseam without seeing anything new, which also [b]puts a huge dent in the advertised adventure and exploration aspects[/b]. and as unrewarding as it is, [b]it's also unnecessarily punishing[/b]. levels start as soon as they appear, 'light' is needed to travel to new locations and also to unlock them, but you can't travel if you have less than 30 even if you'd need less to unlock the new place, absolute nonsense. [b]running out of light loses a life, losing all lives ends the game.[/b] you'd think forbidding travel below a certain value would solve things, but [b]leaving a level costs light too, as does failing[/b]. so you'll play the first stages over and over for miniscule amounts, and when you make a mistake you [b]can't even reset the level, have to wait until all the blocks are used up, then pay the penalty[/b]. and this is the third major issue: [b]the utter disrespect of the player's time[/b]. why is there no restart button, possibly taking away the same amount of resources as failing and trying again, but without wasting a lot of time? or ideally not taking any resources, might as well have one less of the many questionable design decisions. it's fine to stick to your vision instead of making the game more appealing to a wider audience, but [b]I also firmly believe that more options can't hurt a game[/b]. the 'vision' is still there by choosing normal or default settings or whatever, and if a few players get offended by others enjoying a single-player game in a different way but just as much, so be it. in this case, instead of forcing the grind for various resources, why not let at least main levels be unlocked by simply completing the previous one? grab the key, move on. or in an entirely optional casual/whatever mode score could mean the amount of light gained instead of 1 for every 10 points, or light could only be used for power-ups instead of that rare currency, unlock pieces could be gathered during multiple attempts so as not to halt main level progression with a big difficulty spike an hour into the game, and so on. getting the most out of the levels with power-ups would still be a challenge and take a bunch of time, but there would be ess punishment and grind, leading to more variety and fun. 'symmetry' got patched in after release, a 'major gameplay feature' that's supposed to make light-gathering faster by creating symmetrical structures, but it barely makes any difference. [b]controls aren't rebindable.[/b] mouse and hotkeys work in the menus, keyboard for the rest. esc for pausing the game, arrows to move, flip and speed up pieces, and there are some others tied to purchasable bonuses like a grid or choosing the next block. there are separate volume settings and a few language options, and a 'start new game' button for when you paint yourself into a corner by exploring in a game about exploration and have to start over. [b]no windowed mode toggle[/b], alt+enter works and creates a resizable window and window size is saved between sessions, but if there's a different hotkey for screenshots in a game on steam, surely a proper menu item shouldn't be an unreasonable request. ideally with a bunch of resolution options. [b]settings are only accessible from the main menu, can't even adjust volumes while playing[/b], and as I found out, [b]bonus level music is a lot louder than the rest[/b], incredibly annoying. as is music randomly stopping and never restarting until you start another level or something. [b]the english text and the ui both need work.[/b] there's an optional [b]tutorial, formatted really badly and only with a 'next' button, no going back[/b], dumping all the info you won't need for a long time right at the start. would be nice if parts of the ui (light, buttons, etc.) could either be clicked or had a tooltip to refresh your memory, and instead of an utterly useless screenshot key, there would be one to bring up tutorial messages again, when you actually need them. [b]dialog display is abysmal too[/b], tiny speech bubbles with tiny letters formatted just as badly as the tutorial. and it's really funny when the shop owner encourages you to look at the items, but if you can't afford one, you can't even check what they do. you know, to decide if you want them in the first place, before grinding a bunch of yet another currency first, which is obtained randomly, according to the tutorial. you can spend it on light, which can be farmed, but don't think it works the other way round. as I said, nothing wrong with catering to a specific group, it's just a [b]shame to see such great presentation and that excellent music, plus all the other stuff essentially wasted[/b]. though that's true for many games these days. they look great but only offer subpar or worse gameplay and little to no functionality and quality of life. and in this case [b]absolutely zero fun[/b]. I hope it'll be able to find its audience, and in turn that audience will uncover what's under the grind and repetition (and lacking functionality) and will completely disagree with everything I wrote above, but I can't recommend it, it's [b]a painful chore to play, like any number of free mobile games balanced badly on purpose, out for your money, except this has a crazy 15 eur entry fee[/b]. it also has a [b]demo to try[/b] and more updates down the road, that'd be something if it didn't have a bunch of fundamental issues.

A relaxing puzzler with well hand drawn artwork and pleasant enough sound track. You have to play levels repeatedly to gain light to progress along with discovering hidden boosters, buttons and quite frankly drawing some nice patterns. While the blocks fall from the top of the screen like they do in Tetris, they move very slowly so there is no need to panic. You get plenty of time to strategically place blocks. Should you need support, the developers are very forthcoming and friendly people.

399 рублей за это? вы серьезно? я пол часа читал обучение, в надежде хоть что-нибудь понять(текст, кстати, с грамматическими ошибками), в результате чего так и не понял, как играть. тонны текста, куча механик, зачем так все было усложнять? это же просто пазл. тетрис. зачем так все сложно? решили быть самыми оригинальными что ли? поздравляю. у вас это получилось. ваша игра теперь такая уникальная, что людям с IQ ниже 200 в нее вообще лучше не играть. нет. на самом деле не все так страшно. по мере игрового процесса я стал понимать, как играть, и все равно этот простенький "тетрис" не стоит ни 400 рублей, ни даже 100. проходите мимо

The best game i have ever played,feels good even if I am Losing! :)

Quite enjoyable and relaxing game, in the stressful everyday life we are used to live in we need to get away for a while and this game is a great way to make that happen. There is a lot of interesting information about ourselves and the world in general. It's exploratory and adventurous and there are moments that make you want to break away and go on a quest! I wish you an enjoyable game ))

Честно да кажа играта е много различна от всичко, което съм играл. В началото ми трябваше малко време да се ориентирам, да почета ръководството и да направя няколко проби грешки, но знаете ли, през цялото време чувствах вътрешна радост и желание да продължа. С всяка изиграна минута радостта се увеличаваше, нищо че в началото често грешах, но след половин час игра основните механики бяха изучени и играта се превърна в истинско приключение! Не зная друга такава игра, с толкова красив и естетичен арт, толкова нежна и зареждаща музика и такава позитивна атмосфера! Това е игра за всеки, който иска да се зареди с радост и покой, така необходими в днешните луди времена. Играта също така е подходяща за подрастващи деца и тийнейджъри, защото възпитава в човека доброто и развива някои ценни качества, например търпението, на мен ми се наложи да го приложа в действие, но след това наградата беше много приятна. Играта също така на пръв прочит тренира умението да се планира и стратегическото мислене, което е уникално ценно. Сигурно авторите са заложили и други възпитателни механики, с времето ще ги открия. Това ми подсказва колко благотворно влияние може да окаже тя на децата днес. А и не само, и на техните родители. естествено, ако успеят да погледнат на играта малко от по-различен ъгъл, тъй като днес съзнанието ни е забито с шаблони, които ще пречат за чистото възприемане на това бижу! Моята препоръка е - имайте търпение и ще бъдете богато възнаградени. Благодарности на авторите.

It is a challenging game. At first sight it looks like a normal puzzle game but it appears to me that you have more degree of freedom compared to the classic. You need to put some efforts in order to get the full pleasure of it. I like the fact that all visual elements have been hand drawn. They have very unusual graphic style but the main mood is bright and inspiring. Many signs and ornaments used by the author actually have their own meaning in the real world and if you manage to guess their purpose you can actually learn useful things.

Definitely Dabado is a different game! I haven't played recently such a game, the handmade art is just amazing, and the mechanics are very interesting and mysterious. The narative is really unique and trigger my interest to progress more in the game. Kudos for developers