Merge Mansion
- September 16, 2020
- Metacore Games Oy
Merge Mansion is a puzzle game that combines merge mechanics with a renovation simulation. With its good plot, beautiful game mechanics, spectacular graphics, and fantastic music, players uncover family secrets while restoring a mansion. There are some humor-filled moments, but be prepared for extensive grinding, and potential bugs. Official description: Match, merge, and renovate a mansion full of mysteries and family secrets!
Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and an engaging art style that enhances the overall experience.
- The developers are responsive to player feedback and have made improvements based on community suggestions.
- The game is ad-free, allowing for a more immersive experience without interruptions.
- Progression is extremely slow, with long wait times for item regeneration and limited energy, making it frustrating to advance.
- The recent updates have introduced a convoluted trading system that feels unbalanced and punishes players for not spending money.
- Players often feel overwhelmed by the number of simultaneous events and tasks, leading to a cluttered game board and difficulty focusing on the main objectives.
- story237 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story is often described as slow-paced and lacking depth, with many players expressing disappointment over the disparity between the advertised narrative and the actual gameplay experience. While some find the storyline intriguing and enjoyable, others criticize it for being tedious and fragmented, with insufficient character development and plot progression. Overall, the narrative elements are seen as secondary to the merging mechanics, leading to frustration among those seeking a more engaging story-driven experience.
“I love this game and its layered, interesting storyline.”
“The story is interesting and the mansion is incredible.”
“The storyline is entertaining, the graphics beautiful, and the gameplay fun.”
“Honestly, it feels like false advertising to market this as a story-based game.”
“The story is really, really confusing.”
“The pacing is dreadfully slow to the point that by the time you get more story, you'll have forgotten what little tidbit of info you learned previously.”
- monetization115 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 70 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the absence of intrusive ads but expressing frustration over the lack of options to earn rewards through watching ads. While some users feel the game leans towards a cash grab with high in-app purchase prices and limited rewards, others enjoy the ability to play without constant ad interruptions, though they wish for more opportunities to earn in-game currency through ads. Overall, the game's monetization approach seems to balance between being playable without spending money and the pressure to make purchases for better progression.
“Of course, they try hard to make you buy in-app purchases, but it's not essential to progress.”
“On top of that, no ads and not actually much of 'trying to sell me things' as many other just as popular games.”
“With no ads and no need to spend actual money as long as you're patient, it's the perfect casual game for me.”
“In going for a shameless cash grab, they're losing my cash.”
“Seeing this blatant cash grab makes me want to quit playing this game.”
“The ads lie entirely about the plot.”
- gameplay43 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
Gameplay is generally enjoyable and addictive, featuring a fun storyline and appealing graphics, but is marred by a restrictive energy system that limits playtime and encourages spending real money for gems. Recent updates have introduced mechanics that disrupt daily progression and increase frustration, leading to a sense of repetitiveness and a pay-to-win atmosphere. While some players appreciate the core mechanics and return for the experience, many express dissatisfaction with the balance between gameplay enjoyment and monetization strategies.
“Very much enjoying the gameplay and story.”
“The storyline is entertaining, the graphics beautiful, and the gameplay fun.”
“I've been playing for years and I've enjoyed the gameplay immensely.”
“The recent launch of the 'case file' mechanic removes 90% of the daily progression rewards in favor of a gacha mechanic where you need to collect at least one of each of an entire set of themed postcards, whose comparative rarities are impossible to predict, in order to eventually earn alternate rewards instead.”
“The game mechanics keep getting changed to make things harder and slower all the time.”
“The premium currency (gems) is not obtainable through gameplay, only through real-world purchases.”
- graphics29 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and artistic style, contributing positively to the gameplay experience. Many players appreciate the visuals as a key factor in their enjoyment, although some express a desire for more traditional sprite artwork or mention that certain graphics can be overwhelming. While the graphics are generally considered good to great, a few users noted that they could be improved or that they detracted from the overall experience.
“I installed the game because the graphics and storyline looked superb.”
“The graphics and the in-game visuals are very enjoyable and addictive.”
“The artwork is gorgeous!”
“I still miss the old sprite artwork.”
“The graphics are different, not great.”
“But the new graphics are hurting my eyes.”
- grinding25 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and time-consuming, often leading to frustration rather than enjoyment. While some acknowledge that grinding is a staple of merge games, many express that the repetitive tasks, long wait times, and poorly balanced progression systems detract from the overall experience, making it feel more like a chore than a fun activity. Despite its appealing visuals and initial enjoyment, the grind can become overwhelming, prompting players to consider uninstalling or reducing their engagement with the game.
“As others have mentioned, this game has become a tedious chore to get the most simple of tasks completed.”
“Developers may not have run any simulation on the odds, which leads to the accumulation of many unrequired items and the whole game becomes a terribly boring grind.”
“It just gets too tedious to progress because of the recharge time of items and the energy.”
- music8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and excellent composition, enhancing the overall mood and tone. Players appreciate the soothing quality of the tracks, noting that it elevates the gaming experience, especially for a mobile title. The addition of new music tracks has also been well-received, further contributing to the game's appeal.
“Plus, this game has the most beautiful music ever!”
“Fits the game in mood and tone, so well composed... I often make it my go-to game because of the music.”
“I would also say that the music is surprisingly excellent, especially for a mobile game; all credit to the composers.”
- humor6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as both intentional and entertaining, with users appreciating the cheesy and unlikely storylines, as well as the funny dialogue. While some moments may be absurd, they contribute to an overall lighthearted and enjoyable experience, enhanced by a recent ad campaign that users found particularly amusing.
“This gets 2 stars instead of 1 because the new ad campaign is hilarious.”
“Yes, the story is cheesy and contrived; it's hilariously unlikely, that's the point.”
“I really want to rate this game higher because it's fun, the dialogue is funny, and effort has clearly been put into it.”
“The humor in this game falls flat and feels forced.”
“I expected a lot of laughs, but the jokes are stale and unoriginal.”
“The attempts at humor often miss the mark, making the experience more cringeworthy than funny.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users consistently report significant stability issues with the game, including frequent freezes, crashes, and slow startup times across various devices. Many players express frustration over the lack of support and responsiveness to feedback regarding these persistent glitches, which detracts from their overall enjoyment.
“My only grudge, which is why I dropped a star, is when I play on my iPad it constantly freezes, crashes, and the battery gets really hot.”
“They continue to ignore feedback from enfranchised players and offer very little support when their game inevitably encounters glitches.”
“It is now October 2023, and there are still glitches and slow startup on all devices. I love my game, but the glitches and shutting off happen every time I take the screen.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Post-update, users report significant improvements in optimization, noting enhanced performance and an increase in events.
“After the latest update, the game has seen significant improvements with more events and better optimization.”
“The optimization in this game has really enhanced the overall experience, making it smoother and more enjoyable.”
“I appreciate the continuous efforts in optimization; it has made gameplay much more fluid and responsive.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is perceived as lacking, with some users noting that the character design is unattractive; however, this does not significantly detract from their overall enjoyment, as they prioritize gameplay over the plot.