Puzzle Dating
- September 14, 2017
- M. Hanka
Get on Steam"Puzzle Dating" is a stylish and relaxed matchmaking game that values smooth gameplay and pleasant visuals. It's an independent and casual experience, complete with interactive sound effects. If you're looking for a charming puzzle game to add to your collection, "Puzzle Dating" might just be the one for you.
Reviews
- The game features nice aesthetics and a smooth, minimalistic presentation, making it visually appealing.
- Puzzle Dating offers a simple and relaxing match-3 gameplay experience, perfect for casual gaming sessions.
- It's easy to achieve 100% completion and unlock all achievements, making it a satisfying experience for achievement hunters.
- The dating theme feels tacked on and lacks meaningful interaction, reducing the overall engagement of the game.
- Gameplay can be frustrating due to reliance on luck, with randomly generated boards that can lead to unwinnable situations.
- The game is very short, with completion taking less than an hour, which may leave players wanting more content and depth.
- gameplay21 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as simplistic and repetitive, lacking depth in story and character progression, which may disappoint those seeking a more complex experience. While it features an interesting puzzle mechanic allowing players to shift entire rows or columns, the overall mechanics are frustrating and poorly explained, leading to a sense of stagnation. Despite its low price point and appeal to match-3 enthusiasts, many players feel the game lacks engaging elements and variety, making it feel monotonous over time.
“The puzzle mechanic is easy and difficult depending on the board spawn.”
“Luckily this game has a game mechanic that I haven't encountered in other 3-in-a-row games: you can shift an entire row or column at the cost of just one move.”
“I thoroughly enjoy the core mechanics of the game, I just wish there was more.”
“If you want a more complex gameplay or character progression for 'dates', then this game is not for you.”
“Your dates have no personality and have minimal impact on the gameplay.”
“The gameplay is very repetitive.”
- music9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is characterized by a repetitive 30-second loop that many players find soothing yet ultimately annoying due to its lack of variety. While the ambient soundtrack is described as pleasant, it is often compared to royalty-free music and lacks the ability to be adjusted separately from other sound effects, leading to frustration among users who wish to customize their audio experience. Overall, the music is seen as a competent but underwhelming aspect of the game.
“All in all, the music was soothing.”
“It’s pleasant, ambient, and will instantly bring to mind royalty-free music websites.”
“I think, ultimately, and much to my own surprise, the one thing that gets me twitching irritably about this game is the fact the music never changes, ever.”
“While it is a competent presentation, and a good puzzler with a nice but not too harsh challenge, the theme is strange and unnecessary, and the 30-second music loop makes it unbelievably annoying.”
“There seems to be one very short song that plays on a loop.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as having nice aesthetics and a smooth visual experience, but they lack customization options and depth, which may disappoint PC gamers accustomed to higher quality visuals. The art style received mixed reviews, with some finding the character designs too similar and lacking distinct features. Overall, while the game is visually appealing in a relaxing way, it falls short of expectations for a PC title.
“Nice aesthetics and fun.”
“Relaxing match 3 game with smooth aesthetics.”
“There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
“Considering this is being evaluated as a PC game, having the graphics phoned in like this isn't going to result in a high quality, visually impressive game that PC gamers are used to seeing.”
“I didn't like the art style and both male and female 'daters' look largely the same; there weren't many distinguishing features other than sticking a moustache on a few guys, and the women were very androgynous.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is primarily tied to gameplay mechanics, such as the smiley/humor tile that rewards players for making larger matches. While some players appreciate the humorous elements in the product description, they express a desire for more humor to be integrated into the actual gameplay experience. Overall, the humor aspect is seen as a fun addition, but its presence in the game itself is limited.
“Making matches of 4 or more tiles in a row counts as 'humor' and will give you a smiley-faced wild card which can connect with every color and even grant you an extra move if you play them.”
“I still find the product description to be pretty funny.”
“If only we had some of that humor in the game too.”
- story4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is criticized for being overly simplistic and lacking depth, with no overarching narrative or meaningful progression. Players note that it primarily consists of standalone puzzles and achievements, rather than a cohesive storyline.
“It is super simplistic with no story or gameplay development at all.”
“There's no overarching story, just scored puzzles and achievements to unlock.”
“One new date after another, no story, no progression.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is rated low, with users indicating that there is limited incentive to play again after the initial experience. Many feel that once the main content is completed, there is little to draw them back for additional playthroughs.
“The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel pointless.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
“The repetitive gameplay mechanics diminish any potential for replay value.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that Gamemaker Studio is often associated with the creation of low-effort, retro-style games that are perceived as cash grabs, suggesting a negative view of its monetization practices.
“The monetization strategy feels exploitative, prioritizing profit over player experience.”
“In-game purchases are heavily pushed, making it difficult to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
“The reliance on microtransactions detracts from the overall enjoyment and immersion of the game.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the impressive correlation between character personalities and their emotional expressions, suggesting that the game effectively captures and conveys deep emotional experiences.
“Wow, I am beyond impressed at how personalities correlate to their emotional meters.”
“The emotional depth of the characters truly resonated with me, making their journeys feel incredibly real.”
“I was moved to tears by the heartfelt moments in the story; it really tugged at my heartstrings.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players who enjoy grinding often find it to be a relaxing and mellow experience, appreciating the tedium as a form of stress relief.
