Patterna
- October 3, 2016
- Sebastian Schöner
- 50h median play time
Get on SteamPatterna is a single-player puzzle game that offers around 50 hours of playtime, with over 70 levels plus a tutorial, and a level generator with customizable options. The game features a minimalist soundtrack and challenges players to classify nodes in a network as pattern or non-pattern using information on distance, connectivity, and color. Patterna prides itself on not requiring any guessing, making it a logical and thought-provoking puzzle game.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Patterna offers a challenging and rewarding experience for fans of logic games, with a steep learning curve that encourages players to improve their skills.
- The game features a robust random level generator that provides infinite replayability and a variety of puzzles, ensuring players are constantly engaged.
- The mechanics are complex and innovative, allowing for deeper strategic thinking compared to similar games like Hexcells.
- The tutorial is lengthy and can be overwhelming, making it difficult for new players to grasp the game's mechanics effectively.
- The user interface is complicated and poorly designed, leading to frustration and confusion during gameplay.
- Many players find the difficulty level excessively high, with some levels feeling nearly impossible to solve without resorting to guesswork.
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Patterna is characterized by its varied mechanics and infinite replayability, drawing inspiration from titles like Hexcells while offering a unique experience. However, players note that the implementation can be rough, with some frustrating elements and uneven tutorial quality. Despite these issues, the core gameplay remains solid, with a gradual introduction of new concepts and customizable generators enhancing the overall experience.
“The mechanics are varied and the replayability is infinite, but it is very rough around the edges with poor and sometimes frustrating implementation.”
“But Patterna is far from a knock-off; it does its own thing and expands gameplay well beyond the scope of Hexcells.”
“Still, the core gameplay is very solid and has infinite replayability.”
“The mechanics are varied and the replayability infinite, but it is very rough around the edges with poor and sometimes frustrating implementation.”
“A good chunk was very easy tutorials, a few were smart and fun, and the rest were either focused on mechanics I didn't enjoy or gigantic sprawling mazes of directional edges, which basically required trial and error in planning mode, because there wasn't enough information to solve them step-by-step.”
“The main menu is just an overlay over the gameplay, which leads to strange behavior, like being able to zoom the main menu background.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are described as functional but lacking, with a utilitarian design that feels overly technical and terse. While the developer demonstrates strong mathematical skills, the visual and user interface elements are considered subpar, suggesting that improvements in this area could significantly enhance the game's appeal.
“The visuals are very utilitarian; I think revamping those would go a long way in making this game a lot more successful.”
“It may be a bit too 'technical' and complicated for many people, and the graphics can be a little too 'terse', but the game is better than it looks.”
“The graphics are barely passable, albeit completely functional.”
“Patterna's developer definitely had a good idea and a firm grasp of mathematics/graph theory, but everything outside his skill set, like graphics and UI, turned out to be pretty lacking if not awful.”
“Visuals are very utilitarian; I think revamping those would go a long way in making this game a lot more successful.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally considered decent and pleasant, with some reviewers noting that it can become repetitive after extended play. However, the sound design is praised as excellent, enhancing the overall experience.
“The interface and the music are pleasant.”
“But what you can't see from the screenshots is that the sound design and music are both excellent.”
“I really like the sound effects and the music is decent (although naturally it will get old after 10 hours).”
“Music is okay, a bit repetitive.”
“I really like the sound effects, and the music is decent (although naturally it will get old after 10 hours).”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers infinite replayability due to its varied mechanics, although some users note that it suffers from rough implementation and frustrating elements. Despite these issues, the core gameplay remains solid and engaging.
“The mechanics are varied and the replayability is infinite.”
“The core gameplay is very solid and has infinite replayability.”
“The mechanics are varied and the replayability is infinite, but it is very rough around the edges with poor and sometimes frustrating implementation.”
- stability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game generally runs well, even on older hardware, but users report significant stability issues, including frequent freezes lasting 10-20 seconds every half hour.
“Runs great even on old hardware.”
“The game maintains a steady frame rate, providing a smooth experience.”
“I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which is impressive.”
“Speaking of staring at the screen, there are a few pretty bad bugs: every half hour or so the game just freezes up for 10-20 seconds and becomes completely unresponsive, before continuing as if nothing happened.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the experience without constant interruptions.”
“I've encountered numerous stability issues, including random crashes and long loading times that ruin the flow of gameplay.”
