Meld

Did you ever like mixing colors together as a kid? Do you also enjoy puzzle games? Well, perhaps Meld is the game for you! [h1]The Breakdown[/h1] Meld is a deceptively simple puzzle game developed by Axis Games, who also apparently made a football game (Axis Football 2015)? Well, this is a weird departure for them I suppose, but oh well. Upon first glancing at the game, the graphics were kind of off-putting for me since they were so simple and bland, but after playing I can definitely say that the fun and challenging gameplay makes up for it. See, Meld combines a few different puzzler genres in some interesting ways. Namely, it's a hex/tile puzzler mixed with those pipe puzzles in certain games. Oh, and there's color mixing thrown in the mix too. It may seem a little complicated but it's actually quite simple in theory: make a path from one end of the level to the other using only the same color as what the ends of the path/"pipe" (if you like to think of it like that) is. So, if the ends of the "conduit" (that's what the game calls it) are green, you need to make a green line of tiles to beat the level. You do this by dragging tiles of that color to form an unbroken path. Easy enough, right? Well.....not exactly. See, tiles of base colors (red, yellow, or blue) can be "melded" together to make new colors (orange, purple, or green). The game starts off quite easy but as you progress the game introduces powerups and obstacles, which really amp up the difficulty as more and more are introduced. There's some basic ones like a lock on certain tiles which makes it so you can't move them, or meteors that can destroy both these locks and individual tiles if needed. Later on, some really wild stuff is added into the mix. I mean, just look at the store page description for what I mean - stuff like Black Holes, Supernovas, Superconducters, etc. It gets pretty crazy, but all the additions only serve to both add complexity and depth to the seemingly basic gameplay. Honestly I thought that this was a great way to make the game not get old fast. One thing I will say is that the game can get quite hard very fast. I made it to about level 20 to 25 or so before I started to constantly get stuck, which would be a problem since the game has 200 levels (I believe). However, there's an in-game store where you can buy extra moves or various powerups using a currency the game gives you as you play, plasma, to help make levels easier. Though it can be pretty easy to run out of plasma if you're bad at puzzle games like me, I felt like this system helped compensate for the difficult nature of the puzzles. Plasma could be given out more frequently, but it's still a decent way to help people of all skill levels enjoy the game for at least a while. The game also includes a level editor if you're into those. I didn't check it out since I'm not very good at making levels, but I did check out some of the user-made custom levels and those were pretty fun. If people keep making levels, there could be tons of replayability here, so it's definitely worth checking out if you somehow manage to beat all the main game's 200 levels. In the graphics department, the game is clearly unimpressive. The only background in the game seems to be one of outer space and the only other noteworthy thing is the animations when using powerups, which may range from a small explosion to other weird jolts or whatnot. Sound-wise, it's a little better, with the music striking a decent balance between being pleasant and slightly repetitive while the sound effects are just about what you'd expect - some whooshes or explosions when necessary. Not too shabby I guess, but both areas could be improved on. [h1]Pros[/h1] [list] [*]200(+?) levels of challenging puzzling goodness [*]A level editor is included, along with user-made levels that you can either upload or play yourself [*]Powerups really help keep the gameplay fairly fresh [*]An in-game store allows for the purchasing of extra powerups or moves using currency the game gives you (though this only serves to balance out the high difficulty of the game - so it's not like a store in F2P games!) [*]Steam achievements and trading cards are included [/list] [h1]Cons[/h1] [list] [*]The graphics and music are pretty simple, even if they get the job done [*]The game can be pretty difficult at times, especially from level 20-30 or so onward [*]Plasma (the in-game currency) could be given out a little more frequently or in different ways to help incentivize people who are bad at puzzle games to still try and beat levels once they run out. [/list] Meld is perhaps not necessarily the best puzzle game for those who aren't above average at games in the genre, but for both skilled players and novices alike, Meld is a great, fun, and challenging puzzler with great replayability, definitely no lack of content, and decent variety to its puzzles. For puzzle fans who are confident in their skills, this game will definitely test you, but even for those who aren't very good, the game provides ways to still beat levels. Check it out if it sounds interesting! [h1][b]Final Verdict: 7.5/10[/b][/h1]

The game looks fantastic. It's a nice puzzle game. It's not too easy nor is it over the top in terms of difficulty. There are unique mechanics that are easy to pick up. Using the logo of the game to help with the color changing is clever. There's a large variety in levels as well as custom designed maps. The only other thing I can say is that I feel that I would be more compelled to play the game if it showed up on a mobile platform though.

Really clever puzzle game with a lot of unique mechanics I was not expecting. I got into this game really quickly. Certain levels will really have you think out your moves. But if you are like me, getting all 3 stars for completing level is oh so satisfying and leaves you feeling like a genius. Two really great parts to mention, if you do get stuck on a level, you can get another power up to support your way through it. So for me, it never got frustrating or have to rage quit. It is always a great brain teaser. Secondly, there is a level editor for other people (and you) to make new levels to try, so there are always new levels.

The basic mechanics of Meld are clean and easy to understand, with a solid twist on tile-based and pipe-based puzzle games. The game started out very simply as the game eased you into controlling the various mechanics of the game, however the difficulty curve rose sharply around the 25th level. If you're looking for a more challenging puzzle game I would certainly recomend this, but more casual puzzle game players might be turned away at the overall difficulty. The biggest boon to the game is the built-in level editor. The replay value for this game is extremely high thanks to being able to access user-created levels from around the world. The editor is nice to use and does give players a lot of freedom when designing their own levels. I would love to see a mobile release in the future, a platform where I believe a game like this would shine.

Meld is a fun little puzzle game that doesn't take much time to complete a level. At least that is true for the first 20 or so levels, then it suddenly gets pretty difficult, and you have to start planning out your paths before you even make the first move. The built-in puzzles are great and challenging, and the level builder is made in a way that you can make levels with all the features as the built-in ones, which is a rare feature in games with level designers. Overall, if you are looking for something to play for a few minutes at a time while waiting for matchmaking, then I would say this is perfect.

TL;DR This game is a work of sheer genius. If you're a puzzler you owe it to yourself to buy Meld and if you don't relish every minute of it I'll eat my hat! At first glance it looks pretty tame. Make a line of hexagons to join the terminals. How hard can it be, right? Wrong! The first few levels are straightforward but you'll soon be scratching your head as the complexity ramps up. Various types of obstacles start appearing on the board and new powerups are introduced at intervals (16 of them in total!) Each new powerup is explained very clearly and the first couple of levels ease you into it gently so its usage is clear in your mind before you start exploring its potential. [h1]Difficulty[/h1] With most puzzle games I usually reach a point where I can't finish a level so I finally give in and go to Youtube or Steam Guides for the solution. I'm invariably disappointed because now the level is spoiled and I'm convinced that I could have done it myself if I'd thought about it a bit longer but I'll never know because I can't un-know the solution. Meld is a newish game and there are currently no guides to be found online which means no temptations, but the mechanics of the game have completely neutralised any urge to rage-quit and google the solution because you can set your own difficulty preference. Each level gives you a set number of moves and a small number of powerups, if you run out of moves you fail. You're awarded 1, 2 or 3 stars for completing the level, the fewer moves you make the more stars you get - time taken and number of restarts are shown but this doesn't affect your score. 1 or 2 star solutions are fairly easy for the first 100ish levels so total failure is unlikely but just in case you do get stuck you can use your supply of plasma, which you amass throughout the game, to purchase extra powerups if you want to cheat to improve your score or if you just want to get the level out of the way to unlock the next one. If you want the hardcore challenge - 3-star solutions with no purchases - you'll often tell yourself "this level is simply not possible to 3-star!" but if you stare at the board long enough you'll eventually have that Eureka moment and congratulate yourself on your mental prowess. You always have 'lesser' solutions to fall back on, but some of these puzzles will leave you mentally exhausted. When the Fusion powerup first appeared on level 115 I felt my melted brain oozing out of my ears. Many levels have crystals placed around the board and if you want to go hardcore++ you can try the long route via all the crystals. Every level is possible to 3-star (including all crystal routes) with no purchases. I can tell you this because I've done it!! If you play into the advanced levels you'll swear I'm lying but my conscience is clear. There's a special place in Hell for whoever devised level 192 though. As you gain experience you'll become more proficient and the previous levels that you couldn't 3-star earlier will seem easier when you go back to try them again. [h1]Graphics/Audio[/h1] There's an astronomy theme: shoot a comet through a wormhole, place a black hole etc. with nice sounds and animations - starbursts, energy-blur and a lot of zapping. Enough to make it pleasant to look at without interfering with the gameplay. The background music is unobtrusive and can be left on, although I prefer listening to my own music. The Meld logo doubles as the key to the game. It's shown prominently on the level screen and you find yourself checking it constantly against the board to see which colours meld with which and how to apply the powerups. Brilliant. [h1]Level Editor[/h1] There are only a handful of user-contributed levels so far but I plan to add to them. The tormented becomes the tormentor. [h1]Steam[/h1] 6 trading cards and 20 achievements - some interesting ones as well as the usual progress-related. 20th one isn't dropping though (see below). [h1]Value[/h1] ... is OUTSTANDING. 200 puzzles (plus more user-contributed), and every one of them is carefully crafted with unique combinations of obstacles and powerups. At no point does it feel samey or repetitive, but at times you may wish it was just to give your poor battered brain a rest! There's a lot of replay value as you'll normally do 1 or 2 stars for many of the levels on the first playthrough, then go back to try for 3 stars. Unlike other puzzle games you will get full satisfaction from every level without the temptation to look up spoilers. You can see by my play time above that there are many hours of puzzling to be had. [h1]UI Is A Shambles[/h1] What I think happened here is that the genius (really) devs completed construction of the magnificent 200th level and decided to celebrate by getting blind drunk, so they took their laptop with them to the pub and created the UI while they were there, in between tequila shots. Here are the results of their folly: [list] [*]The sound settings, levels overview and achievements are not on the main menu like every other game I've ever played. To get there you have to load/start a game level and then go into the settings from the game screen. I would insert a Jackie Chan WTF meme here if I could. It's absurd. [*]The aforementioned sound/background settings are lost every time you exit to the main menu. Every time you start the game you have to go in and reset it. It's quite irritating. [*]Lost progress. I got up to level 75 and then one day I started the game to find my save had vanished for no apparent reason and I had to start again from scratch (levels are locked until you complete them). 10 hours down the pan. I wasn't best pleased. I've scoured my filesystem but I still have no idea where the save files are kept and there's no cloud support either. [*]No undo. If you make an unintentional move with a slip of the mouse you can't undo. Restarting the level and redoing only takes a matter of seconds so it's not a big deal but it would be helpful. How hard would it be to have right-click undo? [*]If you 3-star a level by using purchased powerups it blends in with all the other 3-star levels so if you want to have another hardcore go at it later without buying powerups there's no way to distinguish it from the other 'pure' 3-stars on the level overview. [*]The in-game register button doesn't work. Tip: go to the website to register. The level editor help button doesn't work either, I'll have to work it out for myself. [*]The time formatting is a bit messed up. Most levels take less than 5 minutes but if you're trying to 3-star an advanced level it can take over an hour. 1 hour 73 minutes on one occasion(!) [*]The 20th achievement (Perfection) is broken. It doesn't show either in-game or on Steam. I think the devs are trolling me. I want my perfect game dammit! [/list] [h1]Verdict[/h1] Puzzle games are my thing. I've played a lot of them and this one is a strong contender for my all time favourite. The mechanics are simple, you move hexagons around, but the puzzles are so cleverly contrived that you'll be grinning from ear to ear when you find that sweet 3-star solution. The gameplay is so good that I can forgive the mess of a UI. It's been on Steam for 3 months now and only 13 reviews, I feel sorry for all the people missing out on this hidden gem, it deserves to be a bestseller. [quote][i]This review is part of the Steamified Community Review program. For similar reviews and fantastic giveaways please visit http://steamified.com.[/i][/quote]

一款挺有新意的解密游戏 1.三原色为基础，其中两两融合后又生成三种混合色 红+蓝=紫 蓝+黄=绿 黄+红=橙 2.游戏目标是通过点击移动、融合，生成相同颜色连接首尾两点 过关评价和使用步数相关，具体需求可参照剩余步数旁的三个数字 3.有多种道具可以使用，比如转变为指定/任意颜色，摧毁一定范围内的砖块，生成一条直线的指定颜色等等 其中部分关卡有初始道具，合理利用这些道具进行游戏 4.难度：初期20关左右难度不高，基本上地图里的每一个已有颜色都需要利用 中后期难度明显提示，地图里的大多数颜色块可能都是迷惑你的 你需要构思一条最短路线，然后合理利用最靠近的色块 不过和其他解谜游戏不一样，游戏全三星关卡难度其实并不算很高，因为你可以直接用分数购买所有的道具 分数可以通过连接两点的颜色通过白色等离子体收集 只要有足够的分数，三星评价只是时间的问题

Addictive, mind-boggling strategy game that keeps you second guessing in secondary colors for hours! This is another well designed game, brought to us by Axis Games. Looking forward to see what they come up with next. Start following this Dev folks. No really, DO IT.

If you are looking for a puzzle game that can be both challenging and a little relaxing at the same time, then Meld is the kind of game for you. The levels are not so easy that you get bored and not too hard that you want to pull your hair out (at least not that I've seen yet). Meld has so many different power-ups and each level can be completed a number of different ways so you can always go back and try something new. I really love the level design feature for this game. It allows anyone to be able to create a custom level and upload it for everyone else to enjoy. This is genius! The level design feature opens the possibility for infinite replay value which I think is pretty awesome. 10/10 will be playing this game again.