SquareCells
- December 7, 2015
- Matthew Brown
- 5h median play time
Get on SteamSquareCells is a single-player puzzle game with impressive game mechanics and sensational music. The game describes itself as an ambient logic puzzle game, where players reveal patterns in grids using surrounding clues. With 36 brain-teasing puzzles, players can expect a challenging and enjoyable experience.
Reviews
- SquareCells offers a unique blend of Picross and Minesweeper mechanics, providing a fresh take on logic puzzles.
- The game features a gradual difficulty curve, with puzzles that challenge players' logical thinking without requiring guessing.
- The minimalist design and calming soundtrack create a relaxing atmosphere, enhancing the overall puzzle-solving experience.
- The game is relatively short, with only 36 puzzles, which may leave players wanting more content.
- Some players found the color scheme and visual indicators for marked cells to be difficult to distinguish, leading to frustration.
- The requirement for perfect completion to achieve maximum stars can be punishing, as one mistake forces players to restart the entire puzzle.
- gameplay101 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Squarecells is a blend of familiar picross mechanics with innovative twists, such as new ways to deduce tile placements through groupings and connections. While the game offers a relaxing experience with a soothing soundtrack, some players found the mechanics poorly explained and the overall gameplay lacking in depth compared to previous titles like Hexcells. Despite its simplicity and short playtime, Squarecells provides a satisfying challenge for puzzle enthusiasts, encouraging logical thinking and deduction.
“Its elegant design and captivating gameplay offer a soothing yet engaging experience.”
“Squarecells features a unique gameplay loop compared to his other games, plus a relaxing chill soundtrack as you progress through the thirty-six increasingly difficult puzzles that are reminiscent of the Hexcells series.”
“Once I learned the other mechanics a bit better, I could appreciate this game for what it is - an excellent, original logic puzzle game.”
“Poorly explained, confusing mechanics.”
“The main mechanic is not well explained; fortunately, there are video walkthroughs in the guide section.”
“The gameplay (for me, at least) was not enjoyable.”
- music75 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and ambient qualities, enhancing the overall relaxing experience while solving puzzles. Many players appreciate the soothing soundtrack that complements the minimalist visuals, although some note that the music can become repetitive over time. Overall, the sound design, including satisfying sound effects, contributes positively to the gameplay, though options for customizing music and sound settings could be improved.
“Squarecells features a unique gameplay loop compared to his other games, plus a relaxing chill soundtrack as you progress through the thirty-six increasingly difficult puzzles that are reminiscent of the Hexcells series.”
“The music is relaxed, the style is minimalistic, but past the first few puzzles, you'll find a good challenge.”
“The game is very relaxing, features some soothing ambient music and animations, but all in all the UI is minimalist and never gets in the way; it's all about relaxing your mind while trying to solve the different puzzles.”
“I will complain that I did not like the music at all, but since that can easily be turned off, it's a really minor complaint.”
“The only con is that it reuses the music from Hexcells, so no new ambient for us :(”
“If the game had been longer it would need more variation in music, but it serves its purpose as it is.”
- graphics29 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist and clean aesthetic, featuring flat colors and a sleek design that many players find appealing. While the visuals are generally well-received for their elegance and simplicity, some users noted issues with text readability and expressed a desire for clearer visuals. Overall, the combination of soothing music and visually pleasing graphics contributes to a relaxing puzzle-solving experience.
“With its minimalist aesthetics and ever-deepening complexity, Squarecells guarantees hours of delightful brain-teasing.”
“It has a clean, sleek aesthetic and has very colorful levels.”
“Squarecells is an ambient puzzler, much like Hexcells: relaxing, soothing music coupled with minimalist graphics (now with a dark theme included) make for a very pleasant experience.”
“Still a great game, but I really wish it had clearer visuals.”
“The music is relaxing and the visuals are clean, but the text was really hard to read.”
“The graphics are simple and clean, as they should be, but they lack depth.”
- grinding9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often requiring manual counting and offering little variety in logic challenges. While some appreciate the minimalist design, many feel that achieving perfect completion becomes more of a chore than an enjoyable experience, leading to frustration rather than fun. Overall, the grinding nature of the puzzles detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
“What had already become a tedious game became even more tedious as I had to resort to manually counting which flags I'd placed already before making any new moves.”
“The first few puzzles are all right, then they become tedious and to get perfect completion is more work than I care to do.”
“All the levels can be completed without guessing (I confirmed this), but there isn't much variety in required logic arguments and they are tedious.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is considered low due to the limited number of levels (36) and the absence of a level generator or player-submitted content. While some players find enjoyment in revisiting the puzzles after a break, many agree that once the levels are completed, there is little incentive to replay them.
“I've fully completed it three times now and it has great replay value because you forget the intricacies of the puzzles but remember the rules, which makes it very enjoyable to re-visit - I'm sure I'll be back again in a few months!”
“There are only 36 levels and there is no level generator, nor player-submitted levels, so the replay value is reduced.”
“There's not a lot of replay value.”
“The replay value for the game is low.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a calming and meditative quality, enhanced by elegant minimalist design and ethereal music. Players appreciate the relaxing ambiance created by thoughtful puzzle design and atmospheric sound effects, making for a soothing experience that balances logic and tranquility.
“The puzzles are well-thought, the atmosphere relaxing and the design elegant.”
“Like Brown's previous games, Squarecells also has a very clean, minimalist presentation, and a calm, meditative atmosphere thanks to its ethereal music and sound design.”
“Very simple presentation and great puzzle design that makes for a calming atmosphere.”
“Like brown's previous games, Squarecells also has a very clean, minimalist presentation, and a calm, meditative atmosphere thanks to its ethereal music and sound design.”
“It's sort of a good mix between logic thinking and relaxed ambient music and atmosphere.”
- story4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The story aspect of Squarecells is minimal, with no significant plot to engage players; it focuses primarily on challenging number puzzles. While it serves as a sequel to Hexcells, the narrative depth is considered lacking, making it more about gameplay than storytelling.
“If you liked Hexcells, this is the perfect sequel, although the plot is a bit dry.”
“Since these clues are very indirect, Squarecells requires a lot more insight and forward-thinking than most puzzle games, and I personally found it much more difficult than Hexcells or Hexcells Plus (Infinite is another story).”
“Story - n/a.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when successfully solving challenging puzzles, highlighting the emotional rewards of personal achievement within the game.
“Solving the penultimate puzzle all by myself made me feel accomplished, that's for sure.”
“The story's emotional depth really resonated with me, leaving a lasting impact.”
“I felt a strong connection to the characters, which made their struggles and triumphs feel personal.”
