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This game is so infuriating. I find that almost every time I meet the requirements for the level (clear the blocks, get the stars, etc.) I lose because I didn't reach the required score. I feel that to improve this game special levels like that shouldn't have a minimum score requirement, especially when whether you win or not is almost entirely luck based.
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The most succinct way I can describe this game: "It's almost fun." It could have been fun. It should have been fun. It's not.
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I seem to lack of strategy here... Stuck in level 30. Maybe the developper would be gentle enough to make a tutorial of strategic skills required to achieve this "non-luck based" game for us half-witted. ;)
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Level 56 is stupidly impossible. I have yet to reach the 14k required score. Ever. The funnel effect makes determining fall order impossible. The requirement of 5 specials dropping can actually block the base, making elimination of the bottom row impossible. Even if I succeed in not blocking, I frequently need 5-7 moves to line up potential falls so I can let the specials exit. Will require stupid amounts of luck to pass.
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At first I thought everyone was complaining too much. The first few levels gave up their maximum score too easily. But then oh my! Level 30+ is where it really gets hard. I would love a rewind button, like on "Blocks" by Gibton on this site.
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There's a bug on level 21. Once you clear the block in the center, you can select the block that replaces it, even though the area has a "no click" overlay
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At the first time I reached a difficult level I was thinking this is a frustrating game, but after a few tries I thought it was great. Sure it is luck involved, but on the other hand, in war luck is a big factor, yet you call the most successful military leaders great "strategists". In business life it is the same, every business needs a strategy, yet they don't know precisely what will tomorrow bring.
I think it's all about adapting to the actual situation, just like in this game. Sure you can't tell what kind of new gem will fall under if you click on a piece, but if you think a few steps ahead and you aim to form a certain combo (e.g. a + to destroy a blocker or glass on the side), you can actually calculate your moves and reach your goals. Sometimes you just have to quit playing and continue on the next day with fresh brain. I'm at lvl 40 and I need the urge to play with this game every day. :) Modified my 4* rating to 5*.
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I normally like to either beat or give up on beating a game like this before giving a rating, but I made an exception. If the game were half the length, I'd have beaten it and decide its 5/5. And I won't punish Kajenx in rating for making a longer game when that doesn't mean withholding a story conclusion. If you must, pretend everything past stage 40 or so is a bonus map pack which is sometimes times ridiculous. But that's okay.
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Great music and beautiful graphics, interesting take on an existing game design. Got 180 stars today so I'd say it's pretty addicting.
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I agree with what everyone else has said, this game has potential but as it stands there is really no strategy just luck. for a lot of the levels the best thing to do is to just keep refreshing at the start until you get a spell right at the beginning. The spells should also do cumulative damage when they make a combo other wise it is just pointless.
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I feel like you should take a look at level 56. The way the balls drop from the side feels unpredictable. 14k also feels very high. Without insane luck you'll fail 100% of the time. There's no strategy that lets you drop the wild cards to x7 or 8 AND get the 5 specials down without sheer luck.
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I like music and design. But the game is too much based on luck. I played until level 18. I tried level 18 twenty times and finally gave up. The only way to pass would be to refresh the level until you can start with a special move.
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Glass doesn't clear consistently when it should. Seems buggy, or perhaps simply arbitrary in which class is cleared when hit by a spell effect. A shame the rules aren't at least consistent to themselves.
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"Level 36 is impossible", I thought. "I can get the special blocks but no matter what I do I can't remove the bottom line." Attempt 241 or whatnot get special blocks done and points over bar at the end but two of the immovable blocks at the bottom remain. Prepare to rage. "Oh, remove the bottom line wasn't a requirement. I'm a dumb."
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@TheSwampman: There are different levels of glass. You can see the difference if the glass has white dots or no dots.
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I think Kajenx is right that strategy is a major factor. However, I think he underestimates the randomity. Sometimes you are on a spell streak and some other times, it seems you can't make even a single one without wasting some more moves to prepare it. And since there is a limited amount of moves, randomity can be a major factor.
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Can anyone tell me how the glass pieces work? Sometimes they clear on spells, sometimes they don't, sometimes they clear on blast, sometimes they don't. I just don't understand their system at all.
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I appreciate that the dev, KAJNEX, is so responsive to this game. But I think that his deep understanding of it means that he won't be able to see how entirely random it is. I have Random in my name...I know random...and this is random.
Seriously though, you could fix it and make it, you know, FUN if you made the objective an either\or thing; clear the blocks OR get the score. Not both. You can but a 3 star score; 1 star for score, 1 star for blocks, 1 if you get both. Just let the game advance with one star.
It is a great concept, and well done, just too random.
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The game looks cool, but if I missed any of help/decriptions of "special items" I don't what to do now to pass the level (some balls are there and I don't know how to get rid of them). For me - annoying na frustrating, so 1/5
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I have beaten the game. it's not only luck. first you Need the right strategy. then you need a little luck. You can see this when you play lvls a second time. it's much easier because you know how.
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It's almost never that I give out a review, but here goes. I think I do agree with many that luck might have too much of an influence in this game. More often than not, if I don't see a special pattern to start a level, I immediately restart the level until I DO see such a pattern. However, I can't discount the fact that you had me addicted to this game... until level 81, which is VERY rare for me with these types of puzzle games where there are goals you must meet before advancing. Therefore, I will be giving a 4/5.
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It would be fun to have more diagonal spells like the X. For example diagonal lines of five. With those you can reach more pieces than with normal clicks.
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No amount of strategy can get you through some of these levels. If the pieces don't fall your way, then forget it. Also, I clicked the center of a + arrangement just now, and no spell was cast. Ofc I'll never be able to prove it...
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This game is no more a game of skill than poker is a game of skill. Later levels are nothing but luck. Had to lower my rating. Was a good game, but gets more frustrating than enjoyable in the early 20's. No way am I going all the way to level 90.
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"I just have to assume the game is too complicated and I didn't explain it well enough"
No offense Kajenx, but that's almost insulting. Your tutorial was fine and appreciated. We aren't dolts... please read Javman158's comments as he clearly articulates the issue. You finished in one or two tries up to level 30?!? Yes, we've tried to "strategize" our moves but it's moot when the drop doesn't contain ANY usable combination and you're effectively throwing moves away. Which seems to be most of the time. After your comment I tried again, but after having to play some levels many times to luck into the right combos, I'm giving up at level 42. For those that have completed the game BIG kudos, but please let us know how many attempts were made before passing any level. Thanks!
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What's up with level 47? There's a full row of tier 2 bocks at the bottom and you have to get 20 special pieces and 35000 points (both an absurd amount). To break the blocks you have to use the spells, but doing so fills the board with special pieces (non-interactive), preventing you from being able to use more spells and break the blocks and so on. It's so counter-intuitive and frustrating.
This level is specifically designed to reverse the usefulness of the wilds. You have to change how you think about them and really plan out what you're going to do or you get stuck pretty quick.
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I think there should be more combos available. Maybe have a small effect for the tetris S block shape. There are several 3x3 patterns that aren't very nice looking but would make more moves possible given a random board. This would help counteract the fairly strong 'luck' aspect of the game.
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Way way way to luck based. Some times you can not win if you just have "bad" luck. No matter how skilled you are so 1/5 so far from me.
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I see that the developer is responding to some of these, so here goes:
Take level 9 for example. In order to clear the glass, I need three different groups that clear a row each, that's either a + shape or a row of five. And as mentioned above, three different ones at three different locations are necessary. If there is a different strategy please elaborate. if not, the game simply relies on luck as everyone is complaining.
You can create your own spell shapes by strategically placing wilds to make spells. Any spell makes a wild, so you actually have a lot of control where spells will be. The wild can be any gem within the spell.
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Sorry, but later levels are retarded. 21 wants you to beat it in 10 turns with destroying a tier 2 blocking pieces in the middle of 9 restricted, if you don't start with a spell directly set up, you cannot hope to beat the level.