Spring Falls
- November 17, 2019
- SPARSE//GameDev
- 3h median play time
"Spring Falls" is a relaxing puzzle game where players help a group of creatures survive in a drought-stricken valley by controlling the water flow. By strategically raising and lowering elevated platforms, players must fill the creatures' water tanks and help them grow gardens while ensuring other animals have enough space to thrive. The game offers a peaceful atmosphere and a minimalist art style, making it perfect for players looking for a calming and engaging experience.
Reviews
- Beautiful and calming visuals with a soothing soundtrack create a relaxing atmosphere.
- Clever puzzles that gradually increase in difficulty, providing a satisfying challenge without being overly frustrating.
- Short playtime of around 2 hours makes it a perfect game for casual gaming sessions.
- The game is quite short, with only 60 levels that can be completed in about 1-2 hours, leading to concerns about value for money.
- Some players may find the difficulty uneven, with a few levels being significantly harder than others.
- Lack of detailed instructions or tutorials may leave some players confused about game mechanics.
- music116 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and relaxing qualities, enhancing the overall tranquil atmosphere. Many players appreciate the enchanting soundtrack, which complements the minimalist visuals and creates a meditative experience, particularly noting the beautiful closing credits song. While some found the music a bit repetitive, the general consensus is that it effectively contributes to the game's calming vibe and enjoyable gameplay.
“The game's tranquil ambiance, complemented by its enchanting soundtrack and minimalist design, creates a peaceful atmosphere that feels like a meditative escape.”
“Spring Falls is a delightful puzzle game that effortlessly transports you into a serene world with its calming soundtrack and beautifully crafted sound design.”
“The music and sounds are very soothing and really complete the minimalistic feel of this game in a positive way!”
“The not for me: I didn't enjoy that the music was all or nothing.”
“Music was fine, but a bit repetitive, if you care about sound.”
“Very relaxing, lovely visuals and sounds, although I found the music a little distracting after a while (but you can turn that off).”
- gameplay101 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Spring Falls" is characterized by its simple yet engaging mechanics centered around controlling water flow to nourish flowers, with difficulty gradually increasing as new elements are introduced every ten levels. Players appreciate the intuitive design and relaxing atmosphere, although some find the lack of explicit tutorials for new mechanics can lead to confusion. Overall, the game offers a charming and visually appealing puzzle experience, though its brevity and limited complexity may leave some players wanting more.
“The gameplay is simple: help the water to flow down a mountain by moving parts of the terrain down while at the same time making sure it passes by flowers to make them bloom.”
“Spring Falls is a beautiful short minimalist puzzle with simple geometric graphics, fluid animations, and varied puzzles and game mechanics that revolve around controlling the flow of water.”
“The gameplay itself is puzzle-oriented; some of the earlier levels are simple, and new play mechanics are introduced quite easily. It's a mentally stimulating game as well because not all of the puzzles are incredibly easy; some take some experimentation as well as thinking ahead.”
“The first 10-15 levels are deceptively simple; however, due to the game not demonstrating the mechanics well, the levels quickly turn into puzzles that aren't fun to solve.”
“I also started struggling so hard at level 21 because I do not fully understand the game mechanics and the game asks you to learn without verbal instruction as to how it works.”
“Another thing to note is that since this is a minimalist game, there is no written or spoken tutorial that teaches you how the game mechanics work in detail.”
- graphics84 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Spring Falls" are characterized by a beautiful, minimalist aesthetic that features simple geometric designs and low-poly art, creating a tranquil and relaxing atmosphere. Players appreciate the fluid animations and charming visuals, which are complemented by soothing music and sound effects, enhancing the overall experience. While the graphics are not overly complex, they effectively convey the game's serene theme and contribute to its enjoyable puzzle mechanics.
“The low-poly art style is a perfect match, adding to the game's charm and making it easy to lose yourself in its tranquil environment.”
“The graphics are really nice, and some of the puzzles made me feel really good about myself when they clicked.”
“The visuals are simplistic and very beautiful, and the music is calm and fitting for the relaxing gameplay.”
“It only has an aesthetic appeal, which is not enough for me to recommend this game.”
“Though the developer does a far better job at hiding it than most, there are still a few points where the visuals of this game scream 'I was made in Unity'.”
“Simplistic but okay graphics.”
- atmosphere31 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its tranquil and immersive qualities, enhanced by a soothing soundtrack and minimalist design. Players describe it as a relaxing and peaceful experience, making it an ideal escape with its charming visuals and calming soundscapes. Overall, the atmosphere significantly contributes to the enjoyment of the puzzle mechanics, creating a cohesive and enjoyable gameplay experience.
“The game's tranquil ambiance, complemented by its enchanting soundtrack and minimalist design, creates a peaceful atmosphere that feels like a meditative escape.”
“From the moment you load up the game, you're enveloped in an atmosphere that feels both peaceful and immersive.”
“The atmosphere of the whole thing is as peaceful as they come, with the gorgeous soundtrack lulling me into a sense of focus and flow.”
“The sounds and visuals create a relaxing atmosphere.”
“The music, the atmosphere, and the sound effects pair really well together to create a chill, beautiful puzzle game experience.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is noted for its beautiful visuals and sound, but it generally offers limited replayability, with many players completing it in 2-4 hours. While some users find a bit of replay value due to forgettable levels, the consensus leans towards a lack of substantial content to revisit, making it more suitable for a one-time experience, especially when purchased on sale.
“I liked the sound and the music very much, and in my opinion, Spring Falls also has replay value.”
“Short but sweet, and allows for some replayability.”
“As the game has 0 replayability, I'm pretty unimpressed.”
“You get less than 2 hours of entertainment, as there's little to no replay value.”
“Roughly 2-4 hours of playtime without that much replayability, but it's worth the price, especially on sale.”
- story5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional story or narration, featuring 60 levels that focus on gameplay mechanics rather than a narrative arc. While it offers engaging puzzles and a visually appealing atmosphere reminiscent of Monument Valley, it does not provide an overarching storyline.
“The game has no story or narration, only 60 levels with different mechanics and sources of water being added as you progress.”
“It reminds me a lot of Monument Valley on mobile, but without an overarching story.”
“It's got all the ambience and most of the beauty, more puzzles and less dubious story than Monument Valley.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players consistently highlight the emotional impact of the game, praising its clever puzzles and amazing soundtrack that contribute to a charming and wholesome experience. Many express feelings of joy and nostalgia, with some even moved to tears by the game's conclusion, underscoring its ability to evoke strong emotions. Overall, the game is celebrated for its delightful vibe and emotional resonance, making it a standout in the genre.
“Clever puzzles, amazing soundtrack, perfect vibe; I cried at the end -- 11/10.”
“When it comes to cute, soothing, and wholesome games, this is right up there with A Short Hike, which to me is glowing praise!”
“All in all, a very charming, wholesome game.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by lighthearted interactions and playful banter among characters, leading to amusing situations that evoke laughter, even from the more serious characters like Mr. Turner. Players find the comedic elements engaging enough to share on social media, highlighting the game's ability to create a fun and enjoyable atmosphere.
“Funny flower game.”
“Trixie: [giggling] Oh, Vicky, you're so funny!”
“[Despite the madness, everyone ends up having a good time, with even Mr. Turner begrudgingly chuckling at his clown costume.]”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively time-consuming and tedious, often requiring significant effort to progress through the final levels. The increasing complexity of moves further exacerbates the need for brute-force tactics, making the experience feel like a chore.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“This makes it unavoidable to brute-force your way through the final levels, which becomes increasingly more tedious as the number of possible moves goes up.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its lightweight design, resulting in no performance issues reported by users.
“It's also lightweight, with no performance issues.”
“The optimization is top-notch, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
“I appreciate how well the game runs; the developers clearly focused on optimizing performance.”