Tidalis

About

Tidalis is a single player and multiplayer casual puzzle game. It was developed by Arcen Games and was released on July 16, 2010. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Tidalis is an arcade puzzle game with single-player and local multi-player modes for up to 2 players. The game features a unique 'streams' mechanic where players set up chain reactions of like-colored blocks by right-clicking and dragging paths through arrows. With 20 game modes, 115 adventure levels, and various special blocks and items, Tidalis offers both casual appeal and hardcore depth."

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65%

Audience ScoreBased on 174 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

Tidalis offers a unique gameplay mechanic where players create 'streams' to connect and eliminate blocks, providing a fresh take on the match-3 genre.
The game features a variety of modes and challenges, including an extensive adventure mode with numerous levels that keep the gameplay engaging.
The soundtrack and visuals are well-received, creating a relaxing atmosphere that enhances the overall gaming experience.

The game suffers from a lack of clarity in its mechanics, making it difficult for players to strategize effectively, leading to frustration.
Many levels rely heavily on random generation, which can result in arbitrary difficulty spikes and a sense of unfairness in gameplay.
The story and cutscenes are often considered unnecessary and poorly executed, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.

gameplay
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
73%
5%
The gameplay of Tidalis features a unique "streams" mechanic that allows players to connect and match blocks in innovative ways, offering a mix of casual and challenging experiences. While the core mechanics are engaging and the level variety is impressive, some players find the complexity and interface dated, leading to frustration as the game progresses. Overall, the gameplay is praised for its depth and originality, but opinions vary on its execution and long-term enjoyment.
- “The core gameplay is smooth and has that easy-to-learn-hard-to-master hook that so many good puzzler games have.”
- “The adventure mode level design is fantastic in its level variety and the chain mechanic looks and feels satisfying.”
- “There's a lot of variety and depth to the stream mechanic which is quite surprising.”
- “The main mechanic of this game is poorly implemented, and quite difficult to use.”
- “The basic mechanics of this game are already somewhat complex for a block puzzle game, but once it starts adding more mechanics and requires doing combos of several levels, I can't keep up.”
- “As a result of all of this, the gameplay feels slow, tedious, and not particularly satisfying.”
story
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
73%
8%
The game's story mode is generally viewed as lackluster and often unnecessary, with many players finding it unengaging and poorly written. While some appreciate the charm and humor in the narrative, others criticize it as cringeworthy and tedious, suggesting that the gameplay would benefit from omitting the story altogether. Despite mixed opinions, a few players found the story intriguing enough to keep them invested, particularly in the context of the puzzle mechanics.
- “Actually really fun for a puzzle game with a story.”
- “The story is silly, but adds to the informal charm - it's all very 'lovely' and the humour's dry and inoffensive.”
- “In addition, the story mode has me intrigued: I want to know more about the characters presented, which is rare in a puzzler.”
- “The storyline is baffling, bizarre, and completely unnecessary.”
- “The story is so terrible the game would be better off without it.”
- “The story is also badly written to the point of being cringeworthy.”
music
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
25%
9%
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers highlighting the beautiful and catchy soundtrack, particularly the work of Pablo Vega. While some found the sound effects to be occasionally grating, the majority appreciated the relaxing and immersive atmosphere created by the music, making it a standout feature of the game. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the best aspects, contributing significantly to the enjoyment of casual gameplay.
- “It's overall well made and has a great soundtrack.”
- “The music is exceptional (especially the title music) and, whilst some complain of the cartoony graphics, I find them to be very pleasing.”
- “The cute visuals and music just seem to meld with each other, creating a mesmerizing experience which you have to see and hear to believe.”
- “Music and sound effects are okay, but they get a little grating after a while.”
- “Many of the sounds that play are little jingles, and they can be dissonant with the music depending on when they play.”
- “It's especially unpleasant when you set off several combos at once, as it plays a separate instance of the sound effects for each combo, all layering on top of each other along with the music.”
graphics
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
47%
18%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players noting that they appear dated and do not scale well to modern resolutions, while others appreciate the charming, childlike style and vibrant colors. Despite occasional glitches, many find the visuals pleasant and well-integrated with the game's music, creating an engaging experience. Overall, the graphics are described as suitable for a casual indie puzzle game, though they may not appeal to everyone.
- “The cute visuals and music just seem to meld with each other, creating a mesmerizing experience which you have to see and hear to believe.”
- “Visuals (9/10): the tiles are very beautiful, and the colors are just right for a game such as this.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, the soundtrack is superb, and the gameplay is well polished.”
- “The graphics are a bit dated and the game isn't really my thing.”
- “Be aware that the game graphics don't scale to modern screen resolutions (it seems to be targeting 1280x720?), they just get smaller.”
- “Really bad graphics, that do not convey how intricate the mechanics are.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, with some reporting up to 240 hours spent on achievements that feel unnecessarily prolonged. While the game features a variety of objectives that keep levels fresh, the overall experience can feel slow and unsatisfying, leading to frustration with the grind. The inclusion of a "skip cut scene" button suggests an awareness of the game's pacing issues.
- “Four hours and over forty levels in, and it still feels tedious as hell.”
- “The gameplay is nowhere near 100 hours long, but the makers made sure they slipped in some grindy achievements just to make sure you have to play the game longer than you need to.”
- “As a result of all of this, the gameplay feels slow, tedious and not particularly satisfying.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The humor in the game is polarizing; while some players find it charming and amusing, others criticize it as lacking depth and being overly quirky or forced. The writing is generally light-hearted, but the cutscenes are seen as distracting and unfunny by some. Overall, it offers a mix of cute and quirky humor that appeals to certain audiences.
- “Some people thought it terrible, but I think it's quite funny and daft in a good way.”
- “The writing is functional, light-hearted, and vaguely humorous, but it's really just there.”
- “A cute, quirky, and really funny puzzle game with some unusual twists!”
- “The other gripe I have with the game is the bizarre cutscenes, which are needlessly distracting and try-hard unfunny to boot.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with smooth gameplay and no significant crashes or bugs reported by some users. However, a few players have noted the presence of minor graphical glitches that detract from the experience.
- “The gameplay is smooth, and there are no glitches, crashes, or bugs in my experience.”
- “I appreciate the game's stability; it runs flawlessly without any interruptions.”
- “The performance is consistently reliable, making for an enjoyable gaming experience.”
- “The game offers some pleasant graphics and graphical style, although there are some ugly glitches here and there.”
- “The gameplay is also smooth, but I have encountered glitches, crashes, and bugs during my experience.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is noted for its unique and surreal design, which some players find disorienting or reminiscent of altered states of consciousness. This suggests a creative approach to character aesthetics, though it may not resonate with everyone.
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with anyone.”
- “I was expecting a rich backstory for the characters, but instead, they feel one-dimensional and forgettable.”
- “The choices I made during the game didn't seem to impact the characters' growth at all, which was disappointing.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game's replayability is mixed; while it offers level creation and multiplayer options, these features have not significantly enhanced the experience for many players. Conversely, some users appreciate the variety of modes and modifiers that contribute to its replay value, particularly in the context of its challenging puzzles. Overall, opinions on replayability vary widely, with some finding it lacking and others enjoying the depth it provides.
- “Underrated puzzle game with some tough puzzles and a lot of replayability from its many modes and modifiers.”
- “You can create your own levels and there's multiplayer - but none have really seemed to stand out or show much in the way of replayability.”
- “Does not have much play value, nor replay value.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers suggest that the game's monetization strategy could have been more effective if it were web-based, potentially generating higher revenue through ad sales, as they believe it is better suited for tablet platforms.
- “They'd have made more revenue making it web-based and getting money from selling ads - it's a tablet game at best.”
- “The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, pushing players to spend money just to enjoy basic features.”
- “It's frustrating that essential content is locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending real money.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game revolves around the strategic challenge of creating "pipelines" to maximize the flow of color, which evokes a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment as players connect and interact with the blocks. This gameplay mechanic fosters a deeper engagement, as players experience the thrill of watching their efforts come to fruition.
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by its comfortable and immersive quality, enhanced by cutscenes and music that some players enjoy, while others may choose to skip the story. Overall, it provides a relaxing environment for players looking to unwind.
- “The cutscenes and music are probably a matter of taste (personally, I liked the music but skipped through most of the story), but if you want to just sit down and relax, they create a comfortable and immersive atmosphere.”