Tametsi
- October 18, 2017
- Grip Top Games
- 73h median play time
Tametsi is a single-player logic game where you must discover and mark hidden mines on a variety of tile layouts using clues provided. With 100 hand-designed levels, 60 additional puzzles, and a note-taking feature, players can expect around 40 hours of gameplay. The game automatically saves mid-level progress, and while it can be challenging, it does not require guessing to complete the levels. Note: there is no in-game music.
Reviews
- Tametsi offers a challenging and rewarding puzzle experience, with 160 hand-crafted levels that can all be solved without guessing.
- The game features a unique drawing tool that allows players to make notes directly on the puzzles, enhancing the problem-solving process.
- It provides excellent value for money, with a low price point and a significant amount of content that keeps players engaged for many hours.
- Some players find the difficulty curve steep, with later puzzles becoming extremely challenging and potentially frustrating.
- The game lacks a polished aesthetic and audio elements, which may detract from the overall experience for some players.
- There are inconsistencies in how diagonal connections are counted in different puzzles, leading to confusion and mistakes.
- gameplay120 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Tametsi is a complex and challenging evolution of the classic minesweeper mechanics, incorporating various tile shapes and additional clues that enhance puzzle-solving depth. Players can expect a steep learning curve and a significant amount of content, with many hours of gameplay available for those who enjoy intricate logic puzzles. While the game excels in its mechanics and level design, some players note a lack of polish in its visuals and a reliance on prior knowledge of similar games like Hexcells.
“Extremely interesting puzzles that add new mechanics and push minesweeper-style puzzles to the absolute limit.”
“Every level has one solution, and the multitude of mechanics and intelligent level design allow every puzzle to feel fresh and new, and there is a ton of content.”
“It's impressive how this game takes such a simple concept, that being minesweeper with a few extra rules, and manages to turn it into such an interesting and challenging puzzle game, all through the use of well-made handcrafted levels and clever use of the base mechanics of minesweeper, plus some more information to allow for extra diversity in the levels.”
“It won't take long for the gameplay complexity to increase to such an extent that finding the correct path through each level becomes extremely non-trivial.”
“There are a few unique mechanics and probably more (if I played further), but I was promised the Dark Souls of Minesweeper while this is nothing more than Minesweeper with fewer clues, which is basically every Minesweeper at high difficulty.”
“I noticed a mechanic that is poorly explained (the 'neighbors'), a solution where guessing was needed, and a tile that had a '1' and minimum had 2 around it (3 if I didn't read the mechanic wrong, again) in this short time I played it.”
- music52 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game features no in-game music or ambient sound, leading players to recommend bringing their own music or listening to podcasts while playing. While some reviewers note that the lack of a soundtrack can detract from the atmosphere, many agree that it allows for a focused puzzle-solving experience. Overall, the minimalist presentation is seen as a practical choice that complements the game's core mechanics.
“Great game to play while listening to music/podcasts.”
“Fun puzzle game; it’s just logic, no timer, so I like to do it while watching streams or listening to music.”
“There's no in-game music so you can open YouTube/Spotify/Steam music/whatever and chill.”
“The game has a fairly minimalist presentation with simple menus and no music.”
“In Tametsi, there is no music, only you and your crushing despair as you stare at a puzzle helplessly.”
“My only gripe is the lack of in-game music and limited sound effects.”
- graphics36 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally described as simple and functional, with a spartan aesthetic that prioritizes gameplay over visual appeal. While some users appreciate the colorful elements and pleasing sound design, others criticize the lack of polish and style, likening it to "developer art." Overall, the visuals are considered adequate for the gameplay experience, but many feel that a more refined aesthetic could significantly enhance the game's appeal.
“The levels are the perfect mix of difficult and aesthetic.”
“It only has hexagonal cells, but the graphics and sound are very pleasing.”
“The game has an appropriately low resource footprint, and I was able to run it flawlessly alongside HD video even on a very low-powered system with an integrated graphics card.”
“The presentation is unfortunately lacking, with a spartan aesthetic.”
“Extreme practicality over any sense of style, with basic graphics and a complete lack of music.”
“I am giving a positive review because the mechanics are solid, but it has some serious flaws - namely the visuals.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some puzzles are well-crafted and offer a fair challenge, others become repetitive and tedious, particularly as they involve complex logic chains that can feel overwhelming. This leads to a sense of monotony, making the process of solving puzzles feel laborious over time.
“The puzzles began to feel the same, requiring the same sorts of deductions, and became large enough that even solving just one was tedious.”
“As far as I can tell, some of them get deep, deep down logic chains before you're able to make any determinations, which ends up being very tedious to clear those last few puzzles.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is not explicitly addressed in the reviews, focusing instead on the complexity and uniqueness of the puzzle mechanics. Players appreciate the innovative design elements, such as varied cell shapes and adjacency rules, which may evoke a sense of challenge and engagement rather than direct emotional responses. Overall, the emotional impact seems to stem from the satisfaction of solving intricate puzzles rather than narrative or character-driven elements.
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game offers a decent level of replayability, but its potential is significantly hindered by technical issues and the lack of support for user-generated content, which could have greatly enhanced the experience.
“Very replayable if you want.”
“The game offers a lot of replayability, allowing players to explore different strategies and outcomes.”
“The variety of challenges and modes ensures that each playthrough feels fresh and engaging.”
“Sadly, the game is a hard-to-run Java abomination and contains no support for user-made/custom levels, which is a real shame given that it would extend its replayability by hundreds of hours.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized as dark and playful, likening it to a more intense version of Minesweeper that adds a macabre twist with phrases like "chew on your bones laughingly." While some puzzles may induce discomfort, the overall content is appreciated for its value and engaging nature.
“Minesweeper's bigger, meaner brother who will chew on your bones laughingly.”
- story2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story aspect of "Tametsi" is not explicitly detailed in the reviews, as the focus is primarily on its challenging gameplay. However, it is described as an outstanding logic game that appeals to players seeking a severe challenge.
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is noted for having a less immersive atmosphere compared to others in the genre, primarily due to the absence of an ambient soundtrack. However, some players feel that music might have been distracting given the complexity of the puzzles, which could detract from the overall experience.
“It lacks a bit of atmosphere that the other games have with their ambient soundtracks, but I feel like music would have gotten distracting in this anyway with how immensely brain-busting the puzzles get at the end.”
- stability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, users report strong stability for the game, particularly when running on Steam Play with Linux Mint 18.2 and NVIDIA graphics, despite the absence of a native Linux version.
“The only flaw I've found is that there's no native Linux version, but it runs great in Steam Play (Mint 18.2 with NVIDIA graphics).”