It’s not often when a game developer takes a more-is-less approach to creating a video game, as many want to create a game that’s pleasing on the eyes to their potential customers; the game buying public. Step forward Romans I XVI Gaming, and yes that’s a mouthful, with their puzzle game Tiles. Weighing in at whopping my 45MB for install, make sure you have the room for this devious little puzzler, that will test you puzzle solving ability along with your speed.
As mentioned, Tiles is a basic looking game and won’t win any awards for its visuals, but that’s ok, as Tiles isn’t reliant on graphics to showcase itself in any way. What Tiles is about though, is moving from the green start tile to the finish tile which is red. Sounds simple enough, right? Well there are blue tiles that you must remove from the playing field by moving over them, and after a second or two they fall off the game board. Not too hard, and it isn’t for the first few levels. Sometimes they’re a light blue which requires moving over them twice. Again, not rocket science but here’s the kicker. You have to figure out the optimal route from start to finish in one go or you get to start all over again.
As I progressed through the levels, it soon became clear that Tiles wasn’t going to be an easy game by any stretch of the imagination. Several other coloured tiles make an appearance. Purple are my favourite as they don’t disappear and you can move over them or stay on them for as long as you like. Yellow disappear soon after the level starts and orange alternate as to whether or not they are available to use or not. So once you reach the later stages, the levels become quite tricky and will certainly put your logic to the test.
What I also found, was that each level has a par time in which to beat and these require almost perfect runs in some instances. There are some cases that see the times beaten with ease. Others not so much. There are achievements related to beating these times, so if that appeals to you, it’s an incentive to smash some times to the best of your ability.
The soundtrack that accompanies the game is a funky little tune and fits the bill, as you slide from tile to tile in a bid to complete the level. It’s on repeat, so after a while may become a nuisance for some, but I found myself far too engaged in my mission to clear the levels presented to me.
Playing the game via D-Pad only was actually a surprise. I’d have liked the option to use my analogue stick to find the best setup for myself. This is all you will need to finish every level, and makes it easily accessible for anyone wanting a quick time killer, as it is possible to play for a few minutes if you’ve got them spare. Long periods can become frustrating as the levels are designed to push you to your limits.
There’s the chance to play user created levels, and there’s plenty of them to choose from. Some are incredibly simple, and other require a lot of thought before embarking on an inevitable fail due to the intricate designs. So there’s plenty of content on offer to the games 6 chapters of 15 levels apiece.
If you fancy making things even more interesting, then feel free to try the cooperative game play. Needless to say, teamwork is vital to your success. Working together has never been so hard.
Verdict
Tiles provides enough content to keep you busy with simple controls of your tile. That can’t be knocked. It’s a game that will likely be played for short periods rather than long term play, and once the levels are all complete, there’s the chance to work on beating par times if that appeals to you. If not, then the only replay value left is in user created content. That said, is speed running is your thing, then Tiles will provide a solid challenge.
Overall Score 6/10
Developer: Romans I XVI Gaming
Publisher: Romans I XVI Gaming
Release Date: 20th February 2018
Price: £3.29
File Size/m: 45MB
Xbox One copy provided for review purpose.
Tiles is a Play Anywhere title.
Available on Xbox One, PlayStaion 4 & Steam