eon_tal

Hexcells is brilliant at what it does! The regular version is hardly the most difficult puzzle game you have ever tried. But for some light satisfaction of crunching your brain it fits the bill perfectly. With its intuitive interface, relaxing music, and small but regular doses of gratification, it becomes addictive in just the right way for me. Always alluring enough to have me return, never too obsessive to **** me in for hours on end (though it has certainly tried more than once!) It is a great way to take your mind off work over breaks and amply rewards your attention. Cannot wait to try the other two expansions in the series!

Unfortunately, I must go against the masses and say I ended up uninstalling Invisible Inc a week after I bought it. This choice largely came down to personal taste but, then again, that is how we grade most games anyway. Simply put, I found the artwork and atmosphere to be unbearably childish and naive. It's not that I dislike cartoonish style as such. But Invisible Inc was just too "Disney" for me. Together with a lack **** storyline noted by many other reviewers, the game just did not have the backbone to make it worth my time (making it different from something like Militia which never tries to be anything more than what it is). The strategic mechanics, while fun for the first few missions, failed to make up for complete lack of immersion in the game world. For those who remember the oldies, a similar criticism on style could be leveled against the change that took place between X-Com Terror From the Deep and Apocalypse. Yet the incredibly immersive mechanics of Apocalypse, together with a strong story, helped one look past the catastrophic choice of color scheme (and I admit having completed it countless times on different difficulty settings). The strategic side of Invisible Inc pales in comparison and there is thus little to make up for its lack of style and storyline. Today, I would pick up something like Frozen Synapse over Invisible Inc any day. It is too bad since I really, really wanted to like this one.

Militia has quickly won my heart as one of the best strategy-puzzle games in my library. It projects a strange kind of attraction. It is by no means a brain-raker-difficult kind of experience. The mechanics are incredibly simple to pick up and apply. Oftentimes, I have caught myself thinking it is too easy. And yet, I do lose a stand every once in a long while and always keep coming back for more. It has already been noted that the game has a calming, meditative quality and it is true. It is great stress relief but also fun. The music, while every bit as minimalistic as the whole experience, it very good. And for all its simplicity, I do find my braincells stirring a little as I chase the orcs and imps down the dungeon halls. Something to reach for when you want an easygoing and pleasant experience that is more soothing than sophisticated. A good gin & tonic, if you will.

You should try this if you have any love for exploration, the unexpected and abstract beauty! illumine was a chance purchase that popped up as I was looking for something else and somehow immediately caught my interest. It was only after exploring its world over the coming days that I realized how well my purchase reflected its core mechanics. illumine is about exploration and daring, spontaneity and taking chances. its outward minimalism belies a potential depth. But only if one is willing to reach into the unknown and accept that it might be all there is to meet. Or not. Needless to add, the game is probably not for everyone and I am only relaying my personal impressions. But given that I was drawn to respawn as many times as I did, and am already anxious to try again as I write, I can only say that I can recommend illumine to others who are open to subtle experiences and willing to use their imagination to fill the pages between the game's covers. A very special experience indeed.