LYNE
- March 17, 2014
- Thomas Bowker
- 19h median play time
LYNE is a single-player musical puzzle game with outstanding mechanics and compelling graphics. Its exceptionally designed levels and daily procedurally-generated puzzles will keep you engaged for hours. The game features a soothing dynamic audio, unlockable color palettes, and supports multiple languages. It's deceptively simple yet infinitely complex, offering a calming yet challenging experience.
Reviews
- The game features a simple yet engaging puzzle mechanic that gradually increases in difficulty, providing a satisfying challenge.
- LYNE has a calming aesthetic with soothing sound effects, making it a relaxing experience for players.
- The game offers a vast amount of content with 650 pre-built puzzles and daily challenges, ensuring plenty of replayability.
- The gameplay can become repetitive as it lacks new mechanics after the initial levels, leading to a sense of monotony.
- Some players may find the difficulty curve inconsistent, with sudden spikes in challenge that can be frustrating.
- The game does not support cloud saving, which can result in lost progress if the game is uninstalled or if the player switches devices.
- gameplay540 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this puzzle game is characterized by its simple mechanics, which involve connecting shapes on a grid without overlapping lines. While the initial levels are engaging and introduce a gradual increase in difficulty, many players find that the lack of new mechanics after the early stages leads to repetitive and tedious gameplay. Despite its relaxing atmosphere and extensive content, the game may not hold long-term interest for those seeking variety and innovation in puzzle design.
“The mechanics are super intuitive so it feels natural to solve the puzzles.”
“Challenging but highly addictive, it's impressive how complicated the puzzles can get with such a simple mechanic.”
“The gameplay is fun and there are an infinite amount of levels to beat, making it a great choice for puzzle lovers.”
“This game can be fun for the first couple of sets; however, as no new mechanics are introduced after that, it quickly becomes very repetitive, tedious, and frankly boring.”
“Overall, it's not a bad and pretty relaxing puzzle, but it gets overly repetitive real quick, as no new mechanics are introduced.”
“The existing mechanics are fine, but variety is the spice of life, and this game got bland real quick.”
- music529 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is predominantly described as calming and soothing, enhancing the overall relaxing experience of solving puzzles. While some players appreciate the ambient sounds and minimalistic audio cues that accompany gameplay, others note the lack of a continuous soundtrack, often opting to play their own music in the background. Overall, the sound design contributes positively to the game's meditative atmosphere, though some users wish for more variety and depth in the musical elements.
“The minimalist design and calming soundtrack make for a relaxing gaming experience, while the increasingly complex puzzles will keep your brain engaged.”
“The music is calming, the gameplay smooth and nobody rushes you.”
“The mix of calming music and gameplay with interesting, intriguing, and baffling puzzles is a unique mix.”
“The game becomes tedious and boring very quickly, and the music has a tendency of exacerbating those feelings.”
“The music is terrible--I did have a better time playing music in the background for a while.”
“This game is begging for a soothing, ambient soundtrack but has no music to speak of aside from the chimes made when connecting nodes.”
- graphics423 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist aesthetic that is both simple and pleasing, enhancing the overall relaxing experience. Players appreciate the clean visuals and soothing color palettes, which complement the gameplay without being distracting. While the graphics are not complex, they effectively support the puzzle mechanics and contribute to a calming atmosphere, making it an enjoyable experience for fans of minimalist design.
“The game is relaxing with calming music, and the graphics are easy on the eyes.”
“Lyne has the perfect combination between minimalistic design and aesthetics that make it recognizable and a bright and pleasing game to look at.”
“The graphics and sound design also work great to my taste.”
“The visuals of the game also led to a boring feeling, as it's just a couple of shapes.”
“Not recommended for those who are seeking high graphic adventure.”
“The graphics are simple, but this doesn't matter in this puzzle game - I would say the simple graphics help it a lot.”
- replayability85 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game features strong replayability primarily through its daily challenges, which provide a continuous stream of new content and keep players engaged long after completing the main levels. While some users note limited replay value after finishing the core puzzles, the daily updates and bonus puzzles significantly enhance the game's longevity, making it appealing for both casual and dedicated players. Overall, many reviewers highlight the game's potential for infinite replayability, especially for those who enjoy returning for daily challenges.
“The gameplay itself is reminiscent of mobile puzzle games like 'Flow Free', and like those games, it enjoys the same replayability; I've found myself playing this game in spurts and coming back to it year after year to get those next few achievements.”
“With the daily puzzles feature, it basically never runs out of replay value, so for $3 I've definitely gotten my money's worth.”
“Each day, you can come back and play a new daily set of puzzles, giving this simple game a huge replayability.”
“Additionally, there is little to no replay value, which can be a big factor to some people.”
“It doesn't have much in terms of replay value (if anything at all), but it does have a daily you can do.”
“While this ensures a consistent challenge, it may limit long-term replay value for some players.”
- story67 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating a surprising depth and emotional resonance, particularly regarding family themes, while others note the absence of a traditional narrative, deeming it a puzzle game without a significant plot. Many reviews highlight that despite the lack of a conventional story, the gameplay remains engaging, with some players finding the ending unexpectedly satisfying. Overall, the game caters to those who enjoy puzzle-solving without the need for a complex storyline.
“I became a passenger of life on a never-ending quest to unravel the mysteries of existence.”
“Bert is an unseen character which is not shown in the game, but through solving puzzles and understanding the greater picture, a tragic and unearthing story is revealed about your family's past.”
“Breathtaking story and solid gameplay.”
“Story: 0/10 (simply put there is none, but it's a puzzle game, not everyone is equipped with a cheesy story to go along with why you're figuring out puzzles.)”
“There are no plot twists or added novelty mechanics later on.”
“Don't expect a story or anything.”
- atmosphere65 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its soothing and relaxing qualities, enhanced by ambient sound effects and minimalistic design. Players appreciate the calming music and visual aesthetics, which create a peaceful environment ideal for puzzle-solving without pressure. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as magical and euphoric, making it a perfect choice for those seeking a tranquil gaming experience.
“The soothing music and the crisp visuals make for a relaxing game atmosphere.”
“The game's simple, yet soothing atmosphere makes it a pleasure, even when you can't, for the life of it all, figure out the solution.”
“Lyne is a seemingly simple puzzle game with basic objectives, a multitude of levels, and an euphoric atmosphere.”
“I don't know how the game designer did it, but this game creates a unique magical atmosphere.”
“It's pretty quiet, but the sound that comes from you clicking something or dragging a line through it just reverberates and, again, adds very well to the atmosphere.”
“Although some levels seem to take hours to solve, the atmosphere of the game prevents you from getting frustrated.”
- grinding47 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 4 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, particularly after the initial levels, where players feel the lack of new mechanics leads to boredom. While some find a meditative quality in the grinding process, many agree that the increasing difficulty and lack of variety make it a frustrating experience, especially towards the later stages. Overall, while the game may entertain for a time, it ultimately becomes a grind that can feel exhausting and monotonous.
“This game can be fun for the first couple of sets; however, as no new mechanics are introduced after that, it quickly becomes very repetitive and tedious and frankly boring.”
“The game becomes tedious and boring very quickly, and the music has a tendency of exacerbating those feelings.”
“But, it does get a bit boring after a few plays, since unlocking specific letters becomes tedious, even if you choose to save time and look through a guide.”
- humor30 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it both funny and intuitive, often highlighting the clever use of achievements to create humorous messages. Many reviews emphasize the game's ability to evoke laughter and provide a lighthearted experience, making it enjoyable for those looking to relax and have fun. Overall, the humor is seen as a significant and delightful aspect of the gameplay.
“Very funny and intuitive!”
“Funny thing about it is, you can use the letters from the achievements to spell something in the achievements showcase.”
“The last levels' humor is so fun!”
- optimization13 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is highly optimized for both mobile and PC platforms, running smoothly with low system requirements and minimal bugs. Users appreciate the smooth controls and the game's ability to perform well across a wide range of hardware, making it accessible to many players. Overall, the optimization enhances the gaming experience, allowing for a beautiful and calming gameplay environment.
“With such a game, the requirements to play it are obviously low and the game runs smoothly, and there are no apparent bugs that appear unless you have an issue such as broken drivers.”
“The game's low system requirements also mean it runs smoothly on a wide range of hardware, from older smartphones to modern PCs.”
“But don't let the fact it started as an app scare you away, it's perfectly optimized for PC.”
- monetization9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 44 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game is well-received, with users appreciating the absence of intrusive ads, popups, and in-game purchases. Many noted that it avoids the common pitfalls of mobile games, such as aggressive monetization tactics, making for a more enjoyable experience. Overall, players find it refreshing that the game does not pressure them into spending money.
“One good thing is it doesn't ask you for in-app purchases.”
“The mobile versions sometimes offer a free trial with in-app purchases for additional level packs.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized as an exhilarating experience that evokes a range of feelings, from intelligence and accomplishment to moments of frustration. Players express a childlike joy upon completing levels, highlighting the game's ability to create a rollercoaster of emotions.
“An emotional thrill ride.”
“Completing every level made me feel like a little child getting a new toy.”
“This made me feel kinda smart.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been called into question, particularly with version 1.3, which introduced graphical glitches prompting some users to revert to version 1.2. Reviewers express hope that these issues will be resolved in future updates.
“Excellent puzzles, however I had to go back to version 1.2 since 1.3 has some graphical glitches. Hopefully those can be fixed, then I'll change this review!”