black

About black

black is a single player casual puzzle game. It was developed by Bart Bonte and was released on December 5, 2018. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

black, another puzzle game for you!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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Reviews

95%Audience ScoreBased on 1,180 reviews

music151 positive mentions

monetization146 negative mentions

Unique and creative puzzle designs that require thinking outside the box.
Minimalist graphics and calming music that enhance the experience without distraction.
Ads are unobtrusive and only appear when hints are requested, maintaining immersion.

Game is relatively short with only 50 levels, leaving players wanting more.
Some puzzles can be frustratingly obtuse or unintuitive, causing difficulty without helpful feedback.
A few levels have glitchy or imprecise controls that negatively affect gameplay.

music
254 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59% positive mentions, 40% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions
The music in this game is widely praised for being relaxing, elegant, and perfectly complementing the minimalist art and clever puzzles. Players find it soothing, non-intrusive, and engaging, often highlighting its role in enhancing focus and the overall calming atmosphere. While some note slight repetitiveness, the soundtrack is generally considered a standout feature that elevates the gameplay experience and keeps users coming back.
- “The pleasant synth soundtrack with procedurally generated environmentally responsive auditory feedback manages to maintain gamification reinforcement without being jarring.”
- “The music is seamless and really is part of the experience.”
- “Incredibly unique design, captivating yet peaceful in a way, great music.”
- “Edit: For some reason my game has no music now. I checked settings and the music is on. I deleted and reinstalled and it still doesn't have music.”
- “Music is obnoxious.”
- “However the music made me so anxious I had to turn the volume off.”
monetization
184 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 79% negative mentions
The game's monetization is praised for its minimal and non-intrusive approach, with ads appearing only when players choose to watch them for hints. These ads are short, typically skippable, and do not interrupt gameplay or progression, creating a refreshing experience compared to ad-heavy mobile games. Many users appreciate the balance, noting the option to support the developer via premium for an ad-free experience.
- “This game is awesome, the levels are challenging but fair, there are no ads unless you want a hint, and it's completely free unless you choose to support the developer which is always awesome.”
- “Great little game - no ads unless you want hints (and even those are little 5 second ads, not that annoying), great music, simple but really makes you think.”
- “This game is very addictive and fun; the fact that there are no ads makes the playing experience 100 times better.”
- “The long ads make me want to not get the app just out of spite.”
- “There is too many ads, there is an ad after every level or every other level.”
- “Forces you to watch ads before being able to solve the puzzle: using a hint requires watching an ad first.”
graphics
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47% positive mentions, 46% neutral mentions, 7% negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a minimalist, clean, and monochrome art style that is widely praised for being visually pleasing, non-distracting, and perfectly complementing the relaxing yet engaging soundtrack. Reviewers appreciate the simple yet creative aesthetic, noting it enhances puzzle-solving without overwhelming, contributing to an overall polished and charming experience.
- “The visuals have a very minimalist aesthetic that's really satisfying when you solve the puzzles.”
- “I've been playing Bonte's games since I was a kid, and this series has the same charm and eye-catching yet simple visuals I've loved since his earlier games like Factory Balls and Duck.”
- “Creative gameplay, controls were not clear all the time but that's the point, I guess..? Graphics are very pleasing to the eye, loved the black and white contrast!”
- “No graphics.”
- “No point in such a minimalist aesthetic with the obnoxious interruptions.”
- “A relatively short minimalist puzzle game with minimalist graphics.”
gameplay
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47% positive mentions, 46% neutral mentions, 7% negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its inventive, unique, and varied puzzle mechanics that balance simplicity with challenging, thought-provoking levels. Players appreciate the intuitive controls, refreshing lack of ads, and well-integrated relaxing music, though some puzzles can be frustratingly difficult or inconsistent. Overall, it offers a polished, enjoyable experience that stands out in the puzzle genre despite its relatively short playtime.
- “This game is definitely an awesome experience, every puzzle is different from one another (except for the dot 'move x spaces' puzzles), music is top notch but gets a bit too samey with every playthrough, presentation is very clean and tidy, gameplay is great and the hints work real well.”
- “This is one of the games I show people to get them into mobile games - or just demonstrate why I like OLEDs ;) really beautiful and peaceful, complex but fun puzzles, cool mechanics, simple but challenging enough to make you scratch your head sometimes.”
- “Inventive, unique and fun gameplay concepts that are not repeated much if at all.”
- “Some of the levels need major reworks; for example, I had issues completing levels 24, 39, and 49 due to the way the mechanics work.”
- “It lacks the simplicity of Klocki and the consistency of mechanics like Mekorama or The Room.”
- “Hardly 30 minutes of gameplay; I don't think it's worth 4.8 stars with such short gameplay.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The game's humor is appreciated for its dry, gentle, and clever style, often eliciting genuine laughter from players. Many find it amusing how over-the-top negative reviews contrast with the lighthearted and fun nature of the game. Overall, the humor is considered a strong and enjoyable aspect of the experience.
- “Simple and straightforward little puzzles that continue to let us figure out how they work, with a dry and gentle humor.”
- “Talented and with the right sense of humor.”
- “Anyway, black is an amazing game, it's fun, funny, and just overall a great game.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83% positive mentions, 17% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and engaging quality, enhanced by creative puzzles and complementary music. Players find it fun and atmospheric, contributing significantly to the overall enjoyable experience.
- “Brilliant game and design, the puzzles are creative and innovative; plus, the music just makes the atmosphere so much better.”
- “It's a fun puzzle game with a strong atmospheric component.”
- “The atmosphere is great and the puzzles are enjoyable.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25% positive mentions, 25% neutral mentions, 50% negative mentions
The game focuses heavily on puzzles rather than narrative, offering a continuous intellectual challenge without relying on traditional storylines or repetitive content. Users appreciate the absence of a conventional story, highlighting the game's puzzle-centric experience.
- “I honestly have no idea why I installed this and paid instantly for premium (the premium part was an accident, but me actually buying it is a different story.)”
- “It's not a story game but honestly feels like it.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 75% negative mentions
The game offers a relatively short experience typical of puzzle games, with limited to minimal replay value. While some players find it worth playing through once, the lack of extended content reduces its long-term appeal.
- “This game only took me 2 hours to complete, but has obvious replay value.”
- “Not terribly long and like most puzzle games, minimal to no replay value, but well worth a download and playthrough.”
- “Incredible game, my only complaint with these games is that they aren't long enough and lack replay value.”
- “Very little replayability, as with most puzzle games.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions
Grinding in the game is generally kept to a manageable level, with some levels being challenging but not overly repetitive. However, certain stages, like level 24, feel tedious due to poorly executed mechanics, leading to frustration rather than satisfaction.
- “My only issue is that the random nature of level 37 becomes tedious near the end.”
- “#24 was tedious and the ball physics aren't very well done, making it take a long time to clear the last blocks with frustration instead of a sense of accomplishment.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
Users find the game's emotional impact mixed, noting that strategic, intentional gameplay enhances emotional investment and accomplishment, while random trial and error detracts from it. The ending is positively received for its happy emotional tone, though some technical issues can disrupt immersion.
- “The end of the game was emotional in a happy way.”
- “Perhaps consider the psychological value of requiring active and intentional reasoning (aka strategy) to escalate emotional investment, so the player feels accomplished before the game is one-third completed, rather than random trial and error that would leave a semi-intelligent person wondering why they've wasted their time playing instead of reading.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The game demonstrates excellent stability, with no glitches reported and smooth progression through puzzles without skipping levels.
- “No glitches and the hints were always just enough to get me thinking.”
- “It's a puzzle game, no glitches, no skipping levels, just puzzles.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The game features smooth performance and is well-optimized, complemented by a clean, minimalistic design that enhances the overall experience.