Good, but please make one small change (or two)
This is one of the better word-based roguelikes I’ve seen in my day. For one thing, it isn’t just a Scrabble-based one; if anything it reminds me more of Quiddler. While part of the appeal to a game like Balatro is the appealing art on the jokers, I admire the simplicity here. The different types of letter tiles all buff your score, but do so in ways that affect your strategy.
Also, I don’t inherently hate the idea of the game starting out nigh-impossible, because you get gems rather quickly and I’ve already gotten to 10 letter slots after playing for only three or so days. The rate at which you get gems (even when losing!) trivializes that initial “hill.”
However, there are a few things which would make the game a bit better. For one, switching out the “Q” tiles for “Qu” tiles would make them easier to use. Also, just for funsies, a few double-letter tiles (CH, ST, ER, etc.) you could add to your deck would be nice (unless they exist in a later bag I haven’t got).
And my main complaint? The thing that knocked it down to three stars? The SECRET LEVEL. Now, don’t get me wrong; I don’t hate a “secret” stage when implemented well. But the way it’s done here actually made me frustrated. Rather than being an optional mechanic or anything of the sort, it’s just a sixth level appended to the endgame that you don’t have time to prepare for. Don’t show me five levels and then throw a sixth one at me once I’ve finally managed to reach the end.
Either give us the option to play without these “secrets” (bait-and-switches), or have the fifth level be the OFFICIAL end and have a little menu say something like “Congratulations! Would you like to play a harder bonus round for more prizes?” That sort of “high risk/high reward” thing could turn some people on to them.
Overall, this is still a great game, and I’m not even complaining about difficulty. There’s a difference between a hard game and a game that throws a curveball at you when you’re already at home plate. (P.S. Different color themes? :3)
I just want to say as well that this is one of my first app reviews. I hope I haven’t been too harsh! Bye!
Also, I don’t inherently hate the idea of the game starting out nigh-impossible, because you get gems rather quickly and I’ve already gotten to 10 letter slots after playing for only three or so days. The rate at which you get gems (even when losing!) trivializes that initial “hill.”
However, there are a few things which would make the game a bit better. For one, switching out the “Q” tiles for “Qu” tiles would make them easier to use. Also, just for funsies, a few double-letter tiles (CH, ST, ER, etc.) you could add to your deck would be nice (unless they exist in a later bag I haven’t got).
And my main complaint? The thing that knocked it down to three stars? The SECRET LEVEL. Now, don’t get me wrong; I don’t hate a “secret” stage when implemented well. But the way it’s done here actually made me frustrated. Rather than being an optional mechanic or anything of the sort, it’s just a sixth level appended to the endgame that you don’t have time to prepare for. Don’t show me five levels and then throw a sixth one at me once I’ve finally managed to reach the end.
Either give us the option to play without these “secrets” (bait-and-switches), or have the fifth level be the OFFICIAL end and have a little menu say something like “Congratulations! Would you like to play a harder bonus round for more prizes?” That sort of “high risk/high reward” thing could turn some people on to them.
Overall, this is still a great game, and I’m not even complaining about difficulty. There’s a difference between a hard game and a game that throws a curveball at you when you’re already at home plate. (P.S. Different color themes? :3)
I just want to say as well that this is one of my first app reviews. I hope I haven’t been too harsh! Bye!
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Best word game
I love word games and I love rogue games. Haven’t found a good new word game in ages. This one I’ve been addicted to. Definitely deserves more attention than it’s gotten!
Fun game, the UI could be improved
I only just got the game but I love the concept, I loved balatro and I love word games. The game would really benefit from a good soundtrack, and for me at least, the UI and menus just feel confusing and not as intuitive as I had hoped. Other than that it’s great and I hope it’s development continues.
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Fun game, but a bit buggy and light on content
Tough to be compared to Balatro, but you’re kind of asking for it. Far less variety of buffs and opportunity to discover synergy between them. Base difficulty is quite easy.
And I’ve just found myself scoring NaN points each word until I ran out and failed the run.
Nice concept, and fun for at least a few hours. Don’t regret the purchase, but I don’t see myself getting hooked on it either.
And I’ve just found myself scoring NaN points each word until I ran out and failed the run.
Nice concept, and fun for at least a few hours. Don’t regret the purchase, but I don’t see myself getting hooked on it either.
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Fun game worth the money
Very fun and more interesting than the typical word games in the app store. Nice to play a game without being bombarded with ads and microtransaction.
Some feedback for the dev:
1) there is a bug in the score calculation when you have multiple consecutive bricks. The points are different if you place one brick vs if you place two bricks then remove one despite one brick in both
2) the final stage conditions could use some balancing. The double points one is way harder than many of the others
3) the game flow after a win doesn't make a lot of sense. What is the point of sending back to the normal store and offering tile based rewards when there are no more stages. It's also a bit weird that you are more rewarded when you lose (access to the special store) than when you win (no special store)
Some feedback for the dev:
1) there is a bug in the score calculation when you have multiple consecutive bricks. The points are different if you place one brick vs if you place two bricks then remove one despite one brick in both
2) the final stage conditions could use some balancing. The double points one is way harder than many of the others
3) the game flow after a win doesn't make a lot of sense. What is the point of sending back to the normal store and offering tile based rewards when there are no more stages. It's also a bit weird that you are more rewarded when you lose (access to the special store) than when you win (no special store)
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Response from developer
Thank you!! Would you be able to email me at hello@puzzlelike.com for more details on the bug?
