Achromatic
- October 17, 2018
- Studio Goya
Get on Steam
Get on Apple Store"Achromatic" is a minimalist puzzle game where you connect dots of the same color to transform them, with unique dots possessing special properties. The goal is to change all dots to one cohesive color while progressing through 60 handcrafted levels, with 10 bonus levels for added challenge. Featuring a calming soundtrack and polished aesthetic, players must plan their moves carefully to solve each puzzle.
iPad
iPhone
Mac OS
PC
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Windows
Mobile Platform
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Reviews
- Achromatic features a simple yet deep puzzle concept that provides a satisfying feeling when solutions click into place.
- The game has a lovely art style and calming music, creating a pleasant atmosphere for puzzle-solving.
- The level design is well-judged, introducing new mechanics gradually and offering a good number of challenging puzzles.
- Many puzzles rely heavily on trial and error, leading to frustration rather than a satisfying learning experience.
- The game can quickly transition from being too simple to overly complicated, making it difficult to foresee the outcomes of moves.
- Some players find the lack of clear instructions and feedback on progress to be confusing and detracting from the overall enjoyment.
- gameplay42 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is centered around drawing lines between colored dots to change their colors, but it suffers from excessive trial and error, making it frustrating rather than enjoyable. While the introduction of new mechanics adds complexity, it often leads to unsolvable puzzles and repetitive resets, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the challenge and the calm atmosphere, suggesting that the game could benefit from more levels and refined mechanics.
“The bonus puzzles feel like a fitting denouement, combining all the mechanics.”
“I enjoyed the various levels and the mechanics in place provided an interesting set of challenges as you progress.”
“Fun mechanics to discover as you go along, nice calm music, very much worth the $5!”
“For each new mechanic introduced, the levels become increasingly trial and error reliant. Unlike a lot of minimalist puzzle games I have played, learning the mechanics does not mean you can solve the puzzles, as certain mechanics can alter the puzzle in ways that are unsolvable. This leads to resetting the puzzle over and over, trying to find the correct starting spot, then trying all different options multiple times to find the solution. It just wasn't fun for me.”
“The one thing about this game for me is that it feels like a concept release and could have benefited from more levels, larger boards, and additional mechanics to add challenge.”
“It gives the player a deceptively simple mechanic to play with, in this case, connecting colored dots in order to change their color, and overcomplicates matters for no reason.”
- music28 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game is characterized by a single, comforting ambient track that, while relaxing and thematically fitting, can become repetitive over time. Players appreciate the calming sound effects and the ability to adjust volume levels independently, which enhances the overall experience. Despite some frustrations with gameplay, the soothing music helps maintain a relaxed atmosphere, encouraging players to return after breaks.
“The music fits the theme of the game perfectly.”
“The sound effects and music are perfectly crafted and fit the overall feel incredibly well.”
“Fun mechanics to discover as you go along, nice calm music, very much worth the $5!”
“The soundtrack is also minimalistic, but gets repetitive fast.”
“There's only one track, but it's pleasant ambient stuff.”
“The music is one song put on repeat (I think it's something like 5 minutes long, maybe a bit longer) but it's a very comforting song and didn't really bore me.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalistic and elegant art style that is both pleasing and crisp, enhancing the overall aesthetic experience. While the visuals are colorful and calming, they lack depth, which may lead to frustration during gameplay. The design effectively directs players' attention to key elements, complemented by well-crafted sound effects and music that enhance the relaxed atmosphere.
“The art style is lovely too.”
“It can be quite frustrating when you can’t progress, but the calming music and colorful graphics keep you in a relaxed mood and coming back after a break often helps.”
“The visuals are pleasing, but there's very little depth to the game.”
“Achromatic uses a minimalist and chilled-out aesthetic, but the actual play experience is anything but.”
“The visuals are minimalistic but crisp.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates excellent stability, with users reporting no issues related to game mechanics, bugs, or glitches. This level of polish is particularly noteworthy given the common prevalence of such problems in similarly priced titles, making it a refreshing experience.
“Many games in this price bracket are rushed or aren't play-tested at all (so bugs and glitches are very rampant), and seeing this well-polished puzzle game at this price is rather refreshing.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users feel that the game lacks sufficient elements to enhance its replayability, indicating a need for additional features or content to encourage players to return.
“Something is needed to add replay value as well.”
“Something is needed to add replay value as well.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find that while the gradual introduction of new puzzle conditions can be engaging, it often leads to frustration when too many requirements are piled on at once, turning enjoyable challenges into tedious grinding.
“But as with many puzzle games that gradually expand the conditions of their puzzles through additional requirements, the point where interesting brain-teasers switch to teeth-grinding frustration is when too many conditions are used simultaneously in any given level.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The optimization aspect of the game is criticized for lacking feedback on player performance, leaving users feeling lost and forcing them to restart without guidance when they reach a dead end. This results in a frustrating experience as players are unable to gauge their progress or make informed decisions.
“It doesn’t grade your performance, it gives no indication that you’re on the right track with your solution, and if you invariably maneuver yourself into a point where you can’t continue, you just have to start another blind attempt.”
