Flawed but valuable

First off, the good: this is a very pretty game, and its nice to see a puzzle whose story is taken seriously. I played through the whole thing, but I probably would have quit early on if there hadnt been so much effort put into the plot and aesthetics.

That said, the story itself is not so great. I agree with other reviewers that the intro comes off as tone-deaf and racist. Satire in games often falls flat, and this is no exception. I liked the choice aspect early on, but that was quickly abandoned. Its too bad--the stakes immediately felt lower once I lost the ability to say "no".

The puzzles were the weakest part for me. The light reflection is fine, even if theres nothing new here. But the sliding mechanic: whyyyyyyyyy?

I first heard this game pitched as being "like a Rubiks cube". I dont disagree! But the thing about a Rubiks cube is that once youve solved one, youve solved them all. The algorithm to rearrange a slide-by-rows puzzle doesnt change from level to level. All it does is discourage experimentation, and add a few extra tedious minutes to the puzzle as you put things into place.

This probably feels like a really negative review. Im giving three stars because, despite the flaws, this is a path Id like to see more games take. The effort put into atmosphere, graphic design, and plot are all things I appreciate on iOS. I just wish this one was better.

Awes Trough about TouchTone™