Level 17 is also very basic and introduces a new mechanic- couldn't this have been earlier? By far the most interesting levels were 18 and 30, and I was eager to see where else Mushroom Quest went. And since Level 30 relishes in this sort of ordering, it's strange to see it overlooked here. Unfortunately, the green switch that must be pressed later opens up that starting crystal, removing any puzzle for the start. Level 26 has a crystal near the start that looks like a small ordering puzzle- go across the pit to reach it before moving the block off of the red switch. The intended solution is to mmove blocks on switches and create a bridge to the right side, but as you can see you can just. I'll use two examples here: level 23 and level 26. However, more than 20% of the levels in the game have unintended solutions that completely skip steps- or extra pieces that are unnecessary for solving. I've fallen prey to this myself, and it can be a hard trap to avoid. And Mushroom Quest almost does this, but fails due to the designer having tunnel vision on the solution intended.
That's it, that's all the mechanics- but as PUSH showed, you don't need many mechanics to make tricky puzzles, you just need to arrange them in interesting ways. Blocks fall down and fill pits, and can hold down three colored switches which toggle the state of floor/pit and floor/wall combos. You can move, hold one key at a time, collect crystals, and push blocks. I'll also be comparing to similar games, like Abraxas Interactive PUSH and Chip's Challenge, the former of which I helped playtest, and the latter I've sunk thousands of hours into making and playing community content.įirst off: the difficulty. I'll address each of these in turn along with what could be done differently. Note that it's not a bad game, it's just very easy, very short, and manages to have most of its difficulty be fake. Mushroom Quest is a game that showed a lot of potential, but falls into 3 main traps that puzzle games often do. They have a knack for creating some nice visuals, have some talent at creating sokoban puzzles, and genuinelly seem receptive to criticism - but they just need a little more content and the possibility of replayability to create a more lasting game. I really do hope the developer keeps working at making puzzle games.
At £2.50, then, it is a little overpriced for what you get. Due to the nature of the game, replayability is at a minimum (I suppose in a few months after forgetting everything, I might go back and be able to enjoy it again), and there is no "creator studio" for players to make their own puzzles and challenge others. The problem is then with price and replayability. As I said, with the 30 levels provided, you can have some fun - very short fun but fun nonetheless. But this is no Shenzehn I/O or realMyst when it comes to puzzling challenges.Īgain, that in itself is not a reason to give a game a negative review. Again, mileage may vary - I play a lot of puzzle games, I enjoy them immensely, and for what these levels provided, I had a fairly enjoyable time. I am very dubious about the "7 in 10 people could not pass further than the 15 level claim", particularly as - paradoxically - the game becomes disappointingly easier in the level 20 - 25 range. To be sure, there are some well-crafted puzzles which are real headscratchers, but they are few and far between. In under 80 minutes or so, one can clear the 30 levels in this game with minimal challenge. My play time for this game reflects a 100% completion rate. While this game has a nice aesthetic, and is a fond throwback to games like Fire N Ice and Solomon's Key, I have to give a negative - or, more appropriately, a neutral review - for its length and challenge. Please be aware - if I could give the game a "neutral" review, I would! Please contact me through discussions in the community, if you encounter something wrong with the game.
I greatly appreciate feedback and will do my best to ensure support for my games.
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