Fine Sweeper
- May 25, 2015
- Pixel Prophecy
Fine Sweeper is a classic mine-sweeping game with pixel art graphics and remastered sounds. It features various difficulty levels, challenging puzzles, and a level editor for creating and sharing custom levels. The game also includes leaderboards and achievements for added replayability.
Reviews
- Fine Sweeper is a polished and enjoyable remake of the classic Minesweeper, featuring improved graphics and a life system that allows for more forgiving gameplay.
- The game offers a variety of modes, achievements, and a progressive difficulty curve that keeps players engaged and challenged.
- Developer support is commendable, with quick updates and responsiveness to community feedback, enhancing the overall experience.
- The game still relies on guessing in later levels, which can lead to frustration, especially for players who prefer a logic-based approach.
- There is no option to restart a level or save progress in the campaign mode, which can be inconvenient for players looking to take breaks.
- Some players find the music and sound effects subpar, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- graphics15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, featuring clean and appealing visuals reminiscent of classic titles, with some fun pop-ups and animations that enhance the experience. However, there are criticisms regarding the softness of the graphics in earlier levels due to the scaling of smaller tiles, which detracts from the overall sharpness seen in later stages. While the visuals are improved and contribute to a smoother feel, some reviewers feel that more effort could have been made to create a unique aesthetic.
“A little extra flair is added with some clean, appealing visuals (the grid and its surrounding border resembling the top-down dungeons from the original NES Zelda) and some funky bass licks to keep the mood up from stage to stage.”
“The game does present some fun graphics pop-ups that appear with certain achievements along with animated fireworks.”
“And on most accounts it is, with visually appealing graphics, increasing difficulty, a life system, and an actually included right-click number mechanic (although that really should be double left-click).”
“The smaller tile graphics from later levels are used in these early levels and scaled up.”
“This makes the graphics look soft.”
“Separate, larger tiles should have been created for these early levels so the graphics could look just as sharp as they look in later levels.”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this minesweeper clone is praised for its engaging mechanics and nostalgic appeal, successfully blending the classic experience with new features like a scoring system, campaign mode, and customizable options. While the addition of a life mechanic offers more forgiveness for mistakes, some players feel it detracts from the challenge for seasoned fans. However, the game retains the addictive core of the original, making it a worthwhile expansion for both new and returning players.
“Outstanding minesweeper clone with new challenging mechanics added to increase the replayability.”
“Overall, this version keeps the core addictive gameplay of the original while adding much needed improvements.”
“A decent expansion of the gameplay of Windows Minesweeper with a smoother difficulty curve, a scoring system to reward being able to play quickly while still being accurate, and a campaign mode where you can accumulate lives and try to progress through as many levels as you can without making too many mistakes.”
“But that ever existing problem of the game mechanics aside, it can fill your nostalgia and retro puzzle hunger every now and then.”
“Somehow, the developer managed to miss this crucial game mechanic, that quite frankly makes the game infuriating and unplayable without.”
“By adding a health mechanic, it adds more forgiveness with mistakes, but for seasoned minesweeper players, this only means that you can plow through certain parts that you would otherwise have to logic out.”
- music12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it repetitive and annoying, leading them to turn it off in favor of their own playlists. However, others appreciate its funky vibe, likening it to classic titles like Streets of Rage. Overall, the soundtrack is considered sub-par by many, with limited appeal and quality.
“And the music reminds me of Streets of Rage, which makes me happy.”
“There's some nice, funky music that seems to lend itself well to the game, in my opinion.”
“Usually while gaming I listen to my own music, unless it’s a sound-based game.”
“If I have one issue with this game, it's the repetitive music.”
“Personally, I found the soundtrack really annoying, so I turned it off.”
“The music is sub-par.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players note that while some achievements require luck, most can be obtained through grinding, which often involves repetitive tasks like stepping on bombs and setting flags. Although this grinding can become tedious, there are tools available to help alleviate some of the monotony.
“Some of the achievements can get a bit annoying to obtain due to the repetitive nature of the tasks, but fortunately, there are ways to make the process less tedious.”
“Most grinding involves stepping on 5,000 bombs and setting 50,000 flags.”
“Some of the achievements are luck-based, but you can still obtain them by grinding enough.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is viewed positively in comparison to Microsoft's Minesweeper, which is criticized for intrusive and loud advertisements. Users appreciate the absence of disruptive ads, highlighting a more user-friendly approach to monetization.
“Better than Microsoft's Minesweeper you can get from the Windows Store that'll blast your eardrums out with ads every few games.”
“Screw you to whoever at Microsoft that incorporated blaring ads for slot games nobody cares about and rendered your ears useless.”
- story1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews for the "story" aspect are currently unavailable or not applicable.
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its replayability due to the introduction of new and challenging mechanics that enhance the classic minesweeper experience.
“Outstanding minesweeper clone with new challenging mechanics added to increase the replayability.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report that engaging with the game for extensive hours has not only enhanced their puzzle-solving abilities but also contributed to a sense of emotional growth and mental sharpness, indicating a deep connection between gameplay and personal development.