[b]6/10[/b]
Rolling cube puzzle game with some hard levels.
[b]What is it:[/b] A puzzle game in which you control a cube, and must move it across the board in specific ways. Each tile has one of four colors, which indicates which way the cube must enter it, e.g. yellow means you must enter it from the bottom-left side, red means you must enter from the top-left. Most tiles can be entered from any side as many times as you want, but that will un-paint it, the last pass through a tile must follow the required direction. So, the goal is to "paint" every tile, which means finding the right path through the level. You're awarded stars based on the number of moves you take, and getting a gold star means finishing the level in the smallest possible (*) number of steps, which can be quite hard.
(*) Some levels can be done in even fewer steps, which probably means that the developers didn't find the actual optimal solution; or maybe they were generous and relaxed the requirements for the gold star.
The base mechanic is colored tiles that allow entering from any direction, any number of times. Future chapters introduce new mechanics: "limited-moves" numbered tiles that only allow entering it a small number of times, after which it becomes inaccessible; "one-way" tiles that only allow entering it from the required direction, e.g. a yellow tile can only be entered from the bottom, neighboring tiles that, when colored, also color its two neighbors on the left and right, portals that teleport you somewhere else, either directional (can only be entered from one side) or unrestricted, propagating tiles that, when colored, also color all the matching tiles in a row or column and uncolor tiles of a different color, and lock&key tiles that starts with some locked tiles that will only be available once you color the key tile.
Each chapter introduces a new mechanic, with a couple of "tutorial" easy levels, and then harder and harder levels. The last few levels in a chapter are quite hard, especially if you want to get the gold star, and may require solving smaller parts of the level then trying to assemble a full solution, and may even benefit from a pen-and-paper sketch. Especially since there is no undo, if you make a mistake you'll have to start from scratch. Even in the smaller levels getting the gold star is tricky, I encountered a few levels where I was 1 move short of the gold star and I had to replay them dozens of times trying to figure out what optimization I'm missing.
Contentwise, the game is great, I like the puzzles, I like how the chapters are not too big, they introduce a new mechanic with a few obvious levels, then some practice easy and small levels, then some really hard and complex ones. And while I dislike 45deg diagonal orientation, I really like that in this game you can choose at any time which way is "up", going left or going right. But, the game is so clunky. Keypresses are not cached and not instant, they are right outside my preferred speed, so I have to slow down and be extra careful if I don't want an up-up-left to be interpreted as an up-left. The lack of Undo makes solving a level a chore, I have to keep playing it until I memorize the solution and can do it without any mistakes. The controls are clunky too, Y is used for reset, and after finishing a level there is no Next button, I have to press Esc to go back to the level select, which always goes back to the first level in this chapter, and I have to use the arrow keys to navigate to the next level I want to play.
[b]How hard is it:[/b] Easy to hard, a good spectrum of difficulties.
[b]How long is it:[/b] 100 levels, split in 7 chapters, for more than 5-10 hours of playing. Levels in a chapter are in a grid, unlocking all neighbors as you solve one level, and unlocking the next chapter requires solving a specific level about two thirds of the way to the end.
[b]Level design:[/b] Good, challenging puzzles, new mechanics keep it fresh.
[b]Quality:[/b] I wish it was better. Good mechanics and good levels, cloud saving and achievements, a few settings, simple colorful graphics. No undo, no mid-level saving, uncached input that isn't fast enough for my taste. Keyboard and Controller support, but controls aren't reconfigurable. Some of the achievements have the wrong picture/description, or trigger at the wrong time.
[b]Worth the price:[/b] I'd put it around 6$ as it is. With a few QoL improvements, and maybe one or two new chapters with extra challenges, it would be worth the current price.
[b]Most positive aspect for me:[/b] Very hard levels.
[b]Most negative aspect for me:[/b] No undo.
[b]What would make it better:[/b]
Undo undo undo! Must have undo! Extra helpful would be a sketch mode, like in Tametsi or 14 Minesweeper Variants, so I can plan a route. The option to switch to a non-diagonal view. A Next button after finishing a level, or at least having the current level selected when going back to the level select. A more distinct bronze star, it looks too much like the gold one; maybe make it empty, just the outline? Dark mode. The option to skip some levels. More Skull hard levels. One extra chapter with hard levels with all the mechanics. Lower the price.
[b]Also consider:[/b]
[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/207570/English_Country_Tune/?curator_clanid=25928931]English Country Tune[/url], very hard "rolling" puzzle game.
[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/454190/Cubicolor/?curator_clanid=25928931]Cubicolor[/url], a simple coloring rolling cube game.
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