Nuclien

Far more complex and stressful than it lets on, Nuclien is a delightful tap 'em up that genuinely challenges players to focus like little else on Nintendo Switch. Unlike most games on the console, the gameplay actually takes advantage of the touch screen by removing the use of buttons during stages. Each world has its own tap-based gimmick to overcome, with plenty of twists and tension to endure. While the last few stages are especially hard, there's a build-up to the difficulty and players are given all the tools they need to succeed just by paying attention. It isn't particularly long, but Nuclien's reflex-based gameplay is a fantastic way of engaging the brain and the Switch's underused hardware.

While the road to the best challenges were a bit tedious, my brain found the rapid pattern recognition and rule application of Nuclien very satisfying over the course of the few hours it took to complete everything. This is in no way a high-concept game; it is simply the full exploration of a relatively simple idea. If you’re looking for something a bit different that will test your ability to quickly recognize numbers and patterns it can be quite an engrossing activity while it lasts.

While it could certainly benefit from online leaderboards and some more motivations to play it again once finished, Nuclien shows that it gets things right when it comes to its gameplay mechanics.

At its best, which is when a level is at just the right difficulty for the individual player, Nuclien provides a very smooth, fast-paced, and satisfying number puzzle experience. The aesthetic is pleasing for the most part, and blasting your way through intricate layouts feels great. With only a couple of hours’ worth of content on offer, all of which is based around the same concept, Nuclien does feel a little bare-bones (although, in fairness, this is reflected in the asking price). It won’t wow or amaze you as you play, but it isn’t a bad way to pass the time, either - especially if you enjoy quick reflex puzzles on the go.

If you are looking for a light puzzle game without much pretension, Nuclien fulfills its mission perfectly. You will spend hours testing your reflexes at levels as short as challenging.

Nuclien attempts to offer up an addicting arcade puzzle game but unfortunately the experience is too boiled down and fails to offer up anything overly interesting to anyone not explicitly chasing the top spot on leader boards.