MSRP: $2.99
Platforms: Windows
Release: 6/6/16
I’m not sure what’s going on with the trend of puzzle games for PC that seem to be a much better fit for mobile platforms, but DahlGames’s first – at least as far as I can find – game Akin fits that description perfectly. For $3, you get 96 puzzles and two modes.
The goal of the game is to turn all the blocks the same color by drawing one continuous line. Unfortunately, there is absolutely no directions – a pet peeve of mine. Still, the concept is simple enough. As you progress through the levels, different types of squares are added to the puzzles, but again, you won’t really know what they do until you click on them.
It’s fairly simple as puzzle games go, and so far, I’ve noticed the game seems to have no preference for which color you turn the blocks when there are multiple choices available. Clearly, this isn’t the a game where there’s only one solution for each level. For me, personally, the timed option really didn’t add anything to the game, but some might enjoy the extra challenge. As far as I played into timed mode, the puzzles were identical to their un-timed counterparts.
While Akin is not a bad little time waster, I’m still not sure it’s worth the asking price. There’s quite a bit of warm up before the puzzles become even moderately challenging, and although it’s only been out a couple of months, I’m guessing there’s no additional content planned. For me, this falls squarely in the okay category – enjoyable enough to play a few puzzles here and there, but not so compelling you’re likely to blow through it in a single sitting. If it were available on smartphones or tablets for a dollar, I’d recommend it without question, but there’s so many better puzzle games available on PC.
366 Days of Gaming 