Kombine

About

Kombine is a minimalist puzzle game played on a grid. The goal is to remove all of the blocks that have borders by matching three or more of the same blocks together. When blocks are matched, a new block is created with the same color and a higher value. Three 1s create a 2, three 2s create a 3, etc. However, you can only place blocks with a 1 value, so it can become challenging to create a match …

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 63 reviews

gameplay5 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game features an interesting puzzle mechanic that can be satisfying once understood.
It's very affordable, providing good entertainment value for the price.
The game offers a relaxing experience, making it a nice casual game to play.

The lack of a tutorial and confusing mechanics can make the game frustrating for new players.
There is no undo button, which can lead to repeated restarts of levels due to minor mistakes.
The puzzles can become repetitive, with many levels mirroring each other and lacking variety.

gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
50%
19%
The gameplay centers around a core mechanic where players combine dots of the same level to create higher-level dots, offering a complex design space that can be both satisfying and challenging. While the mechanic is engaging and allows for skill development, many players find it repetitive and confusing, particularly due to a lack of clear instruction. Overall, the game is seen as a decent value with clever use of simple mechanics, though some feel it could benefit from more varied puzzles and a different presentation style.
- “The core mechanic is that three or more dots of one level combine to form a dot of a higher level -- for example, three or more single dots combine to form a double, three or more doubles combine to form a triple, and so on.”
- “Overall, despite its repetitive nature, it was fun to build skill in using the core mechanic, and it was also fun to complete the time trials (for the achievements).”
- “For $1.50, it's a decently well-made game and although the game mechanics may appear simple, they're used in very clever ways to create super difficult levels.”
- “The puzzle mechanic is confusing, and the game isn't really teaching it to you.”
- “Only one mechanic, repeated 50 times.”
- “The game and its mechanics remain confusing to me in a certain way.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The graphics have been criticized for being simplistic and childlike, with some users finding them overly chaotic and annoying. While the design aims to minimize visual distractions for puzzle enthusiasts, many feel that the overall aesthetic lacks polish and fails to enhance the gameplay experience.
- “The graphics are simplistic, the music slightly depressing, and the sounds don't provide enjoyable feedback.”
- “It is designed to appeal to puzzle enthusiasts and gives you the least amount of visual fuss in graphics.”
- “The graphics are simplistic, the music is slightly depressing, and the sounds don't provide enjoyable feedback.”
- “Graphics are too childlike for my tastes, and overall gameplay and puzzles are too simple.”
- “Graphics are a bit too crazy and annoying.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a double-edged sword; while some challenges are engaging, they often become tedious, particularly in the final level where repetitive tasks are required. The lack of an undo button further exacerbates the frustration, leading to a decline in enjoyment as the game progresses. Overall, the balance between challenge and tedium is a common point of criticism.
- “The last level notably requires you to apply an interesting long solution, made tedious by the fact that you must do it three times.”
- “This game starts out too difficult and later becomes too tedious.”
- “At a certain point in the game, it just gets too tedious to be enjoyable.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is described as slightly depressing and not particularly enjoyable, with some users finding it relaxing yet simplistic. While it can be turned off, the overall sound design does not provide satisfying feedback, contrasting with the game's bold and bright visuals.
- “The graphics are simplistic, the music is slightly depressing, and the sounds don't provide enjoyable feedback.”
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “There is music you can turn off, and the colors are bold, bright, and non-threatening to the senses.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for its limited replayability, with users noting that there is little incentive to play it again after the initial experience.
- “The bad: its replay value is very limited.”
- “No replayability.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is not explicitly addressed in the provided text, which focuses on gameplay mechanics rather than emotional engagement or impact. Therefore, it is difficult to summarize any emotional elements based on this information alone.
story
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story conveys a powerful message about resilience and the unpredictability of life, emphasizing that perseverance in the face of adversity can lead to unexpected and rewarding outcomes.
- “The moral of the story is that you never know what life has in store for you. If I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”