another would-be-great game ruined by thinking players have all the time (and willingness) in the world to replay half the puzzles to get back to the point where they stopped (or had to stop) last time. [b]if your trailer says 100+ puzzles, let me select them individually[/b], not just 21 packs of 6 or so that have to be done in one go. or [b]at the very least save my progress on the current level[/b] so I can continue there next time and/or try another unlocked level in the meantime. the game wouldn't be any easier, only less tedious and frustrating.
[b]controls aren't great either[/b], especially coupled with the other issues. this is a [b]draw a single line puzzler[/b], connect all the dots on the screen to move on, but [b]the only way to cancel the current line is by letting go of the left mouse button[/b], and it's very easy to accidentally solve the level without intending to and move on to the next without the option to go back.
it's even more frustrating because puzzles have [b]multiple solutions and some are less optimal than others[/b]. not a problem, a good thing, in fact, in a game with proper level selection, but as it is, if you misclick and move on with a subpar solution, [b]you'll have to replay the entire level of 6 or so puzzles to get a perfect rating[/b] (which does nothing, but it's something to aim for, plus you're more likely to learn the rules that way instead of trial & error).
a possible solution would be to [b]have a confirmation prompt pop up[/b] before moving on to the next puzzle, which might be annoying early on when you're breezing through the levels, but useful later on.
and [b]there are a few levels where a limited number of lines have to be drawn[/b]. this can go south fast as well, as obviously any line will count as a move, so if you want to cancel one here, you have to backtrack until only a single circle is selected and let go of the mouse button then. unnecessarily finicky.
these turn-limited puzzles reset if you run out of moves, so you can try them again, but the only way to reset them is by running out of moves, so after a mistake you gotta keep drawing lines, which is ridiculous. what's worse, you can run out of options (gravity affects pieces here), can't exceed the turn limit and have to [b]restart the entire level, not just the current puzzle[/b]. unacceptable.
this puzzle type definitely needs its own reset button for the current screen, and [b]making the right mouse button act as 'undo' while the left button is still pressed[/b] would help in general as well. misclicks could still happen, so all the other issues would have to be fixed too, but it'd be less finicky than the way it currently works.
as for the [b]gameplay[/b] itself, as the store page says, there are no instructions, you'll have to work out the rules for yourself, but [b]I don't think the game teaches them that well[/b]. sure, I'm dumber than most puzzle players, but I only realized crucial information around the halfway point, yet managed to get that far and perfect every level up to that point without too much of an issue, and I still think there are some inconsistencies with the rules (or, again, I'm just too dumb, which is more likely).
the point is, [b]you always want to go in ascending order if possible[/b], that's also how to switch between colors (blue 3 to orange 4, for example), and ideally only increase numbers by one within the same color as well (indicated by a dot on the line). there is a [b]progress bar on the border of the screen[/b], if it turns blue when everything is selected, you have the best solution, otherwise you might want to think about it some more before moving on. at first I thought the progress bar was too big of a hint, but without it there would be no way of knowing how you're doing. [b]lines can cross each other, but each number can only be used once.[/b]
besides numbers and colors and the above-mentioned limited-turn gravity-affected puzzles, some symbols get introduced as you keep playing, like the 'n'-like character, which acts as a link, or the smiley face, which turns into the next or previous number once you add it to the line (1-smiley-3 becomes 1-2-3, smiley-3 results in 2-3, etc.).
it's a pretty clever game, [b]looks slick, minimalist in a good way, with great music and mostly non-annoying sound effects[/b] (except the *thump* for the smiley), no volume sliders though, but [b]as much as I enjoyed it initially, I can't recommend it the way it's designed.[/b] wastes time, forces players to repeat sections, causes frustration, how is this a 'zen' experience?
if they ever fix the issues, I'll change the review into a recommendation, as otherwise it'd be great, though I'd still say wait for a sale, as it's a bit on the expensive side at full price.
