Fractal: Make Blooms Not War
- November 29, 2011
- Cipher Prime Studios
Get on SteamFractal: Make Blooms Not War is a rhythm-based puzzle game with vibrant visuals and an adaptive soundtrack. Players can choose from three distinct modes: Campaign, Puzzle, and Arcade. The game features an innovative Musicbox Audio Engine that generates music based on the player's actions. With its mesmerizing graphics and challenging gameplay, Fractal provides an immersive and entertaining experience.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Fractal: Make Blooms Not War offers a relaxing and enjoyable puzzle experience with a beautiful soundtrack that enhances gameplay.
- The game features a variety of modes, including campaign, arcade, and puzzle, providing a good balance of casual and challenging gameplay.
- Visually appealing with simple yet engaging mechanics, the game encourages strategic thinking and offers a satisfying sense of accomplishment when completing levels.
- The lack of a proper tutorial can make it difficult for players to understand the mechanics, leading to frustration and reliance on trial and error.
- Many levels are heavily reliant on RNG, which can make the game feel luck-based rather than skill-based, especially in the later stages.
- The game suffers from a steep difficulty curve, with some levels becoming excessively challenging and potentially discouraging for players.
- music41 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and adaptability, enhancing the overall gameplay experience with soothing and engaging soundtracks that change based on player performance. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, noting its ability to create a relaxing atmosphere while also reacting dynamically to the game's intensity. However, some players express disappointment over the lack of options to adjust music and sound effects, as well as concerns about the repetitiveness of the soundtrack despite its initial appeal.
“The aspect of the game that keeps me playing though is the music.”
“A fun little puzzler with adaptive music that matches the gameplay beautifully.”
“The music and sound effects are as lovely as the visuals, and the music changes fluidly with your progress.”
“The game is also missing some basic features such as the ability to adjust music/sfx levels and any sort of online high scoring - this seems odd in an otherwise polished product when schoolboy designed games have this stuff.”
“Also disappointing was the soundtrack: the game devs heavily push the soundtrack on the store page, insisting that it's ever-changing depending on how well you play.”
“It's the same soundtrack every single time, with slight changes in tempo if you really start to suck.”
- gameplay33 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this mobile port is characterized by its simplicity and reliance on randomness, with mechanics that involve pushing hexagons to create larger ones. While the game features a visually appealing aesthetic and an adaptive soundtrack, many players find the core mechanics lack depth and innovation, leading to a mixed reception. Despite its shortcomings, the game is described as surprisingly addictive, with a variety of modes that can keep players engaged, especially for those who enjoy casual puzzle experiences.
“A fun little puzzler with adaptive music that matches the gameplay beautifully.”
“The gameplay is very smooth, the music fits well, and it's quite challenging (not at the start, of course).”
“In general, you get a great game with eye-candy, interactively changing music, wonderful game mechanics, and a decent variety of game modes that should keep you occupied for a quick game or two, or maybe a long-term sitting for a high-score hunt.”
“A mobile game port, with a very nice and chilling soundtrack, yet it lacks a proper tutorial for the mechanics (you'd have to trial and error yourself throughout the game).”
“Devoid of any real gameplay other than pushing some hexagons around until the RNG decides you'll get a combo and complete the level for you.”
“The game is gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but pushing around hexagons to make bigger hexagons and clear a board is not exactly a game-changing mechanic.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for being aesthetically pleasing and functional, with some reviewers highlighting their beauty and the game's excellent performance even on lower-end hardware. However, there are mixed opinions, as some find the visuals overly simplistic or dull, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while the graphics contribute positively to the game's casual style, they may not impress everyone.
“The music is enjoyable, the graphics are very aesthetically pleasing, and the gameplay itself is simple to understand but fun to play.”
“One of the most noticeable aspects of the game is its beautiful graphics.”
“Great music and graphics for its casual style; it is also similar to the game Hexic.”
“A combination of complete lack of instructions and dull, dreary, boring graphics made me quit this game almost as soon as I started.”
“Again, the use of oversimplified graphics in the name of 'art'.”
“Controls are tight, graphics are simple and clean.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game offers some replayability akin to Tetris, primarily due to its luck-based elements, but the short campaign duration limits overall engagement. The absence of a multiplayer mode is noted as a drawback that further diminishes replay value.
“Which can be good for replay value but also bad because it's partially luck-based.”
“The campaign won't take more than a few hours, but I can see there being replay value in the way that Tetris is replayable.”
“No multiplayer mode, which is unfortunate and hurts replayability.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its stylish design and fitting music, creating a magically immersive experience that enhances the puzzle-solving elements.
“If you look through my library, you’ll see that I’m a bit of a sucker for cipher primes and their magically atmospheric puzzle design.”
“Very stylish with fitting music and atmosphere.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find that the initial enjoyment of the game diminishes rapidly as it devolves into tedious grinding, with only a few engaging levels before the experience becomes monotonous.
“You get through about a handful of levels before it quickly fizzles into a large and very tedious grind.”
“The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
“After a while, the excitement of leveling up is overshadowed by the monotonous grind.”
