[h1]TL;DR: worth it! One of those low disk space games that you might find yourself returning to whenever you have an extra minute or feel like a bit of escape... and progress is saved between sessions, so there's no minimum playtime required per session!! It loads and terminates quickly![/h1]
[b]Thank You, Bogemic Games![/b]
This game was originally similar to [i]2048[/i] but it used Gems instead of numbers. Since then, it has changed a lot. The rules have changed in 4x4 mode (originally the only mode available), and 8x8 mode, while it gives you more space, also introduces chains crisscrossing some gems that prevent them from moving unless matched with identical or (sometimes?) other gems.
[b]Pros:[/b]
[list]
[*]Automatically saves progress in the middle of a game so you can quit and return later to the same game! ([b]however,[/b] if you quit in the middle of a 4x4 game, you have to select the same mode, 4x4, to continue where you left off. Selecting 8x8 will start a new 8x8 game, overwriting the previously-stored state save (so you can return to the 8x8 game later), and vice versa)
[*]Pleasant sound effects (I've never felt the need to turn them off)
[*]Relaxing and comfortable music (It can get old after a while IMO, but it is good enough to turn back up sometimes
[*]Smooth, fun gem-morphing animations
[*]High scores for each mode saved in the Steam Cloud
[*]Multiple game modes (4x4, 8x8 at present, each with differing rules, and I don't know what might change or improve in the future)
[*]Developer actively improving content as of May 2019
[/list]
[b]Cons:[/b]
[list]
[*][strike] Setting music volume to 0% does [u]not[/u] turn music off completely.[/strike] I mentioned that in the forum and the developer acknowledged it within a few hours and fixed it for the next build, now up! (2019-05-07)
[*]Background "fire" effect plays at about 1fps when the game is in the background and about 4-5fps when the window is focused. It can be annoying. I'd appreciate being able to [u]disable[/u] it or [u]switch[/u] to a more gradual morphing effect. After playing more than a few times since that effect was added, though, I've realized that I don't notice it.
[*](SEE [b]EDIT[/b]!) [strike]Recently-added microtransactions[/strike] (!?) [i]I think that's what they are, and if so, that's disappointing. They're unnecessary and fortunately, completely optional.[/i]
[b]EDIT: I'm playing as I write this review on 2019-04-22, and Bogemic Games seems to agree. They're gone, from what I can tell! ...developer mentioned in the forum that "a new method of introducing consumables" would be found, so [i]THIS IS NEITHER A PRO NOR A CON for now.[/i][/b]
[/list]
[i]Gem Forge is a game I sometimes play repeatedly. It does not get old quickly, and when I feel I've had enough for now, for a day, or for a week or two, I find myself returning to it[/i] (hours|days|weeks|months|years) [i]later and being enthralled again by its simple and fun yet simultaneously complex gameplay.[/i]
Bogemic Games keeps adding things, too, so it's likely I'll find new options, achievements, or enhancements when I return if I haven't played in a while.
