[b]feb 2024 edit:[/b] managed to make it run, proper review now, flipped to recommendation.
[b]snailquest[/b] is a sliding game a'la [b]2048[/b], but instead of numbers, you're tossing snails around. the spice girls weren't lying, two become one if they run into each other and the level ends when they're all on their respective exits if they have one. solo yellow snails on yellow, combined green snails on green, even more combined ones on blue. once they land on their way out, they're stuck there unless combined with another of the same color. can be good or bad but there's [b]unlimited undo[/b].
[b]40 levels[/b] in 4 locations, another 40 is still promised on the store page but doesn't look like it's gonna happen. levels open one by one and have a [b]3-star rating based on the number of stars picked up[/b]. leaving the level with none still unlocks the next but even that might be tricky sometimes, so [b]a level skip option would be nice, or having more than one unlocked at a time[/b]. there's a step counter but it's only for the [b]level-by-level leaderboards[/b], as long as you get all 3 stars.
location unlocks are based on stars, 2/3 of the total amount is required for each, so perfecting the first 2 packs already unlocks the 4th. I temporarily got stuck on level 2-5 until I got some help, but had I been able to get a few more stars from previous levels, the 3rd pack would've opened. eventually I managed to gain access to every location but not every level (2-8 proved to be my ultimate undoing, forbidding me from trying the final 2 stages there).
there are a few more mechanics, like moving over a stone plate turns it into a pillar that blocks movement. if enough of said plates are triggered, they also open chests, hiding some of the stars, while colored buttons open their respective gates. and the best part: [b]curling![/b] it's essentially sokoban with curling stones instead of boxes or what have you but still, how cool is that? can't recall any other game with similar stuff and I play a decent amount of sliding games.
it's [b]keyboard-based but mouse works for everything except movement[/b]. only arrows move, wasd doesn't. 'u' for undo (can't be held to take back multiple steps), 'r' for restart, esc for settings, those buttons can also be clicked. the level complete screen has replay, next level, back to map and leaderboard buttons.
cute colorful graphics, functional sfx, but I found some of the music awful. might be the choice of instruments or something, not sure. separate volume settings, non-resizable but smaller windowed mode and a couple of languages make up the settings in the main menu but only volumes are available from a level. alt+enter still works to switch between full screen and a window and there are 3 player profiles to track progress separately.
despite what the store page says, [b]it doesn't work on win7[/b], at least not reliably. it didn't work for me on steam but running the .exe started it exactly once and never again. no biggie for most and otherwise [b]it's a nice little sliding game for the really low price of 2 bucks[/b]. can be quite challenging at times to get that last star too. that or I'm just terrible at this. I do hate simultaneous movement puzzlers but 2048-likes are fine and I dig sliding games, so it must be this particular combination or my failing brain.
