Matchington Mansion
- October 11, 2017
- Magic Tavern, Inc.
- 4h median play time
Matchington Mansion is a free adventure game with a delightful story and home renovation puzzle gameplay. The game boasts splendid graphics, good music, and humor, but is hindered by numerous bugs, grinding, and annoying ads. Overall, it offers a fun and engaging experience for those willing to overlook its shortcomings.
Reviews
- The game is entertaining and can be addicting, with a fun storyline and engaging puzzles.
- The graphics are vibrant and the design options for the mansion are enjoyable.
- Customer support is responsive and helpful when issues arise.
- The game becomes frustratingly difficult at higher levels, often requiring multiple attempts to pass a level.
- Many tasks require stars for trivial actions, detracting from the main goal of decorating the mansion.
- The game is often plagued by bugs and crashes, leading to lost progress and lives.
- monetization1,408 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over misleading advertisements that do not accurately represent the gameplay. While some users appreciate the minimal in-game ads and the option to watch ads for extra moves or rewards, others criticize the aggressive push towards in-app purchases and the deceptive nature of the ads, which often depict a different type of gameplay than what is actually offered. Overall, players feel that the monetization strategy detracts from the gaming experience, with many calling for more transparency in advertising.
“If you're crafty, you can play for quite a while without succumbing to in-game purchases.”
“There are microtransactions, but they are in no way required to enjoy everything about the game, and you can easily progress without them.”
“No ads unless you choose to view them.”
“The ads for this game are extremely misleading and show completely different gameplay than what is actually in the game.”
“I downloaded this game because the advertisement showed it to be a drag and drop of decisions, nothing about it being a version of Bejeweled.”
“The advertisement for this game is misleading because it showed where you were picking tools such as a fire extinguisher to put out a fire and other things and if you got it wrong it showed your hand getting zapped and said failed.”
- story802 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's storyline is generally described as cute and engaging, with many players appreciating the character interactions and the overall plot. However, numerous reviews express frustration over the slow progression of the story, often feeling bogged down by unnecessary side quests and tasks that detract from the main decorating gameplay. While some players enjoy the combination of match-3 puzzles and narrative elements, others criticize the excessive use of stars for trivial story-related actions, leading to a desire for a more streamlined experience focused on decorating rather than storytelling.
“Amazing storyline, I love it more each time I play!!!”
“The story is great, the characters in the game are well thought out and the concept overall is just interesting and keeps the attention.”
“I love the story line and how the non-player characters interact with each other and the player.”
“The story is convoluted, and it is so much effort just to progress.”
“The story line isn't that great and often 'skip' the banter.”
“The story line is boring and the characters are creepy.”
- graphics355 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty, clarity, and charming design, with many users highlighting the appealing animations and vibrant colors. However, some players express frustration with the gameplay, noting that while the graphics are excellent, the difficulty of levels can detract from the overall experience, often leading to a reliance on in-game purchases to progress. Overall, the visuals are a strong point of the game, contributing to its addictive nature and engaging storyline.
“The graphics are great and the home designs are cute.”
“I love the renovation game with beautiful graphics and design; I loved to decorate like living in a mansion.”
“The graphics are stunning.”
“The graphics are horrible, the options are rather disgusting and the platform was built like a casino.”
“Furthermore, the graphics themselves look like something from a low budget children's show in my opinion.”
“The graphics are too slow, you wait too long to actually play when tiles keep going.”
- stability229 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with frequent reports of freezing, crashing, and glitches, particularly after updates. Players often lose progress, lives, and bonuses due to these issues, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction. While some users still enjoy the gameplay, the persistent technical problems detract from the overall experience, making it difficult to recommend the game until these stability issues are resolved.
“Wonderful game; there are no glitches, nor is there any lagging connection with it.”
“No glitches so far.”
“Just when you start winning levels, the game freezes up and you end up losing your bonuses. Eight months later and it even happens more often. Every time I win a level, I get a commercial for another game and then it locks up. Don't bother loading this game; I would rather watch paint dry after all these issues.”
“The reason for three stars rather than five is that with the last update it has become extremely laggy and sometimes freezes at the end of rounds for up to 30 to 45 seconds before allowing me to continue.”
“This game freezes way too much, and when it does, you lose all your boosters that you earned. If you're in the middle of a game, you have to start over. If I could, I would give it a zero; I've spent too much money on this game to keep freezing up.”
- gameplay217 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over misleading advertisements that depict a different style of play than what is actually offered. Most users describe the core mechanics as a typical match-3 format, often comparing it to other games like Candy Crush or Homescapes, and note that while some levels can be challenging and engaging, the overall experience can feel repetitive and frustrating, especially with the added pressure of in-game purchases. Additionally, technical issues such as crashes and unbalanced difficulty spikes have detracted from the enjoyment for some players.
“One of the best parts is zero ads to interrupt gameplay!”
“The gameplay is good and the levels are tricky but not too hard where you might give up.”
“The gameplay is extremely addictive and my overall experience is positive until one point in the game!”
“The gameplay is mediocre at best.”
“The actual gameplay is just another match three game.”
“The gameplay has literally nothing in common with the ads.”
- grinding81 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players frequently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and frustrating, particularly as levels progress and the requirements for stars increase. Many feel that the tasks often feel repetitive and unfulfilling, leading to a sense of discouragement and boredom, especially when hard-earned stars are spent on minor or unnecessary tasks. While the initial gameplay can be enjoyable, the overall experience tends to become a grind, making players less inclined to continue.
“The design portion of the game is fun, but you waste too many stars on the storyline, especially when stars get increasingly more tedious to earn on the other part of the game (the matching).”
“It quickly became tedious with the excessive tasks that don't help make the scene buildable.”
“The matching is tedious and not fun, and you are required to play a level for every little thing in the mansion, sometimes 5 or more to complete one task.”
- music60 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players enjoying its soothing and pleasant qualities, while others express frustration over recent updates that disrupt their ability to listen to external music apps simultaneously. Some users find the background music repetitive and monotonous, leading to a desire for more variety, while others appreciate the overall sound design and its contribution to the game's atmosphere. Overall, while the music is generally well-received, technical issues and a lack of new tracks have dampened the experience for some players.
“The music is so beautiful and peaceful, both in the mansion and in the gameplay.”
“The music is pleasant.”
“The music is mesmerizing.”
“Since the last update, the game stops my streaming music, so I can no longer listen to music and play at the same time.”
“The latest update made it so my music shuts off when the game opens or at each level.”
“After playing several levels, the music is so monotonous and if I switch it off, it's just not as satisfying to play anymore.”
- humor42 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding the storyline and character interactions amusing, often leading to genuine laughter. While some appreciate the lighthearted and silly elements, others criticize the game's misleading advertisements and repetitive humor, suggesting that it may not appeal to all audiences. Overall, the game offers a blend of funny moments and corny dialogue, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate a lighthearted gaming experience.
“The storyline's hilarious.”
“It keeps me guessing and laughing all the time!”
“The game also gives you plenty of free boosters to help you win levels, and the storyline has some funny comedy in it.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 88 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally uplifting and enjoyable, appreciating its fun and wholesome nature that provides a mental break. However, some express disappointment with the storyline and issues like false advertising and technical bugs, which detract from the overall emotional experience.
“It's cute, fun, and gives me a mental break and/or emotional boost.”
“It's all around easy, fun, inviting, & wholesome.”
“Decorating yard and chance to undecorate by touching one decoration after the holiday is a plus.”
“The storyline is boring and doesn't match the advertisement, which promised players the ability to choose what item to fix a leak. This feels like false advertising.”
“I expected an emotional journey, but instead, I was met with a lackluster narrative that failed to engage me.”
“The game promised deep emotional connections, but the characters felt flat and unrelatable, leaving me indifferent to their struggles.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is inconsistent, with some users experiencing stuttering and loading issues that disrupt gameplay, particularly after extended play sessions. While the initial areas run smoothly, overall performance may not be well-suited for all devices, leading to frustration despite the game's enjoyable mechanics.
“That said, it's a fun little match-3 game that runs smoothly enough (although like all the others I've played, it runs on rails) and doesn't make itself impossible to play if you don't spend money.”
“I've played games with heavier graphics and more dynamic interactions that don't require that much performance from my phone.”
“The first 3 areas, it was okay, the game runs smoothly.”
“Stuttering and not wanting to load, so I have to close it out and start again, many times causing me to lose lives.”
“I've played games with heavier graphics and more dynamic interactions that don't require as much performance from my phone.”
“But it shows... this app may not be optimized for your device.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's replayability significantly diminishes after level 75, with players expressing frustration over being stuck on the same level for extended periods. While updates have improved playability, many find rival games to offer a more enjoyable and engaging experience.
“I'm happy to see the updates have made the game more playable.”
“When it comes to being stuck at the same level for 2 weeks, it's not enjoyable anymore.”
“The replay value of this game is almost zero after level 75.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in this game is criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, especially when compared to similar titles that focus more on narrative and character growth. Players feel that the game does not deliver on the promises made in advertisements, as it primarily revolves around fix-up and decoration mechanics rather than meaningful character interactions or development.
“Compared with similar games that prioritize character development and plot, this game truly excels.”
“The character designs are unique and add depth to the overall experience, making the game more engaging.”
“Compared to similar games that prioritize character development and plot, this one falls short.”
“The only resemblance to the ads is that they use some of the character designs; it's more of a fix-up and decorate game, though not in the same way as the ads portray.”