Dots & Co: A Puzzle Adventure
"Dots & Co: A Puzzle Adventure" is a puzzle game with a good plot, stellar game mechanics, great graphics, and spectacular music. The game, created by the developers of DOTS and Two Dots, offers plenty of humor but can also be frustrating due to numerous bugs and grinding. Recommended for puzzle fans looking for a unique adventure.
Reviews
- Incredible design and characters with beautiful graphics and soothing music.
- Challenging gameplay that keeps players engaged without being overly frustrating.
- No intrusive ads, allowing for uninterrupted gameplay.
- Levels can become nearly impossible without purchasing power-ups, leading to frustration.
- Recent updates have caused issues with loading challenges and daily rewards.
- The game can drain battery quickly and may cause performance issues on some devices.
- music425 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and calming qualities, enhancing the overall gaming experience with beautiful soundtracks that many players find relaxing and enjoyable. However, a common complaint is that the game interrupts any background music or podcasts, which can detract from the experience for those who prefer to listen to their own audio while playing. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the standout features, contributing significantly to the game's aesthetic appeal.
“I absolutely love the music of each level and it has really kept me sane over lockdown and beyond.”
“The design, the artwork, and the soundtrack are just *chef's kiss*.”
“The music is hands down the best part of the game, such good background music.”
“The game is very nice, the graphics are really cool but the sound/music is as bad as a scratch on a blackboard.”
“Great game just wish it would quit shutting my music off when I load it up.”
“I don't like that you can't listen to your own music in the background while playing.”
- graphics299 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty, charm, and thoughtful design, with many users highlighting the cute art style and soothing color palettes. While some players noted occasional issues with screen cut-offs and a decline in quality compared to previous versions, the overall aesthetic and visual appeal remain strong, contributing to a relaxing and enjoyable gameplay experience. The combination of lovely graphics and engaging music enhances the game's addictiveness and user satisfaction.
“Beautiful game with thoughtful design and stunning game design/visuals.”
“The graphics are beautiful, the music calming and exciting at the same time, and the color schemes and puzzle gimmicks switch up often enough for the game to stay interesting and fresh.”
“The graphics are perfect and the gameplay is very smooth and easy to understand.”
“Sometimes the graphics are too wide for the screen and get cut off at the edges.”
“The graphics have been lagging as well as the animations.”
“Graphics should be better.”
- monetization199 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 45 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the absence of intrusive ads but criticizing the reliance on in-app purchases to progress. While some users find it possible to enjoy the game without spending money, others feel that the difficulty spikes are designed to encourage microtransactions, leading to frustration. Overall, the lack of ads is a highlight, but the pressure to make purchases for power-ups and progression remains a significant concern for many players.
“Absolutely love that there were no ads - a rare occasion for a free game these days.”
“Pop ups are few and even though there are in-app purchases, it doesn't get in the way of the game itself.”
“You don't need the in-app purchases to play.. I have never made any purchases and I'm nearly on level 100.”
“But warning for other players - I didn't realize that the game would never refill certain powers or boosts without an in-app purchase, and it is disappointing that without spending money, you get the bare bones experience of the game.”
“The entire game is based around microtransactions; they make almost impossible levels based on chance so that the player will lose enough times and feel the need to pay to win.”
“An otherwise great game is ruined by the fact that it's a blatant cash grab.”
- gameplay138 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by simple yet engaging mechanics that are easy to learn but can become frustratingly challenging, especially in later levels where difficulty spikes and reliance on in-app purchases is evident. While many players appreciate the beautiful graphics and music, concerns about balance and the potential for pay-to-win elements detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game remains addictive and enjoyable for casual play, with a charming aesthetic that enhances the gameplay.
“The gameplay is really fun, the graphics are beautiful, and it's not really pay-to-win like most other games like this.”
“The gameplay and aesthetic are charming, as well as the music, which is far better than a mobile game ever needed to have.”
“Beautiful design, unique music, and very nice gameplay.”
“Less content, worse gameplay, and trying to milk you for cash?”
“Just simple, mindless gameplay with no real strategy.”
“This game forces transactions in such a way that the basic gameplay experience is barely playable.”
- stability32 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 81 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting frequent glitches, freezes, and crashes, particularly after recent updates. While some players enjoy the game without issues, a significant number express frustration over the app's instability, which hampers their overall experience. Overall, the game's performance appears to be inconsistent, with ongoing technical problems affecting playability for many users.
“No glitches so far...”
“Runs great!”
“Great game, no glitches, fun to play”
“Can't even press the 'play' button; the app glitches and freezes as soon as it opens.”
“Game freezes upon loading, so I didn't even get as far as playing anything before I got frustrated and uninstalled.”
“Is very buggy, with features failing to work (the weekly challenges, for example), or the app just freezing on startup or randomly crashing.”
- story18 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally appreciated for its cuteness and charm, enhancing the overall experience without being overly distracting. However, players express frustration over the lack of new missions and the game's tendency to glitch, which detracts from the enjoyment of the storyline. While the aesthetic elements like graphics and music are praised, there are concerns about the reliance on paid power-ups for mission completion, impacting the overall gameplay experience.
“The storyline adds interest and adorableness without distracting from the game itself, and the mechanics are straightforward and enjoyable.”
“Graphics, music, and story are all aesthetically pleasing.”
“I loved the old dots, but adding a cute story, companions, and hard levels makes it even more addicting!”
“Sadly, I'm deleting this for now as we aren't getting any new missions or stages.”
“I miss the weekly missions where they gave you coins.”
“It stopped loading the bonus missions at all.”
- humor18 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with many users finding it both funny and relaxing, contributing to an enjoyable experience. Players appreciate the cleverness of the humor, noting that it enhances the gameplay, although some express concerns about the game's monetization strategies. Overall, the comedic elements are a standout feature that many find delightful.
“Absolutely hilarious music and gameplay.”
“Very clever and funny.”
“Original game with simple design but very funny and relaxing.”
- optimization11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant performance issues, including bugs, crashes, and delays, particularly on weaker devices and "tall" form factor phones. While some updates have aimed to improve stability and performance, players still experience stuttering and slow loading times, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game. However, a few users noted that it is well-optimized for the Android operating system.
“Recent edit helped balance and performance, keep up the good work.”
“Coming from an iPad, it is at least 20% slower, so some optimization would be welcome.”
“It's a simple, well-designed game that is optimized very well for the Android operating system.”
“The game is not optimized for 'tall' form factor phones.”
“I also encountered many bugs and app crashes, which impacted the performance of my phone.”
“Great game, love it, but I'm experiencing serious performance issues where swipes are drastically delayed by sometimes 3 seconds or more.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players frequently describe the grinding aspect of the game as excessively tedious and frustrating, often requiring them to replay the same levels numerous times to progress. This repetitive gameplay can lead to a sense of burnout, with many feeling that the game pushes them towards spending money to bypass the grind. Overall, while some enjoyment is found initially, the experience quickly becomes monotonous and exhausting.
“This can lead to incredibly hard and tedious runs of the same levels that can last for days.”
“I felt like I was just grinding through this to get to a challenging level.”
“It gets tedious playing the same level 20+ times just because I don't feel like shilling out my hard-earned money to play a game.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its strong replayability, with many users enjoying the fun and challenge it offers. However, some players feel that certain mechanics could enhance the experience, while others question the classification of the game as a puzzle due to its randomness. Despite these critiques, the game has maintained its replay value over time.
“Good graphics, and a lot of replay value.”
“So much fun and very replayable.”
“More than two years ago, it still has great replay value.”
“I think I would like it more if you could match the dots diagonally, although I understand that allowing this mechanic might provide less of a challenge, so the replayability wouldn't be as high.”
“I understand that in order for levels to have replay value, they need to have some randomness to them, but calling it a puzzle is just wrong.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized as chill and nostalgic, enhanced by amazing music and visuals that create an enjoyable experience. Players appreciate the combination of great music and a fun ambiance, contributing to an overall positive vibe.
“The atmosphere is very chill and somewhat nostalgic.”
“Amazing music, atmosphere, and visuals!”
“Great music and atmosphere; it's a fun little game.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted as wholesome and uplifting, providing a heartwarming experience that resonates positively with players. Users appreciate its casual nature, which contributes to a feel-good atmosphere.
“This is a wonderful and wholesome little game.”
“A wholesome casual game.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While users appreciate the graphics and character designs, there is no specific mention of character development in the reviews, suggesting that this aspect may not be a focal point in their feedback.