Zen Shards - Idle Merge Game | Game Brain

About

"Zen Shards - Idle Merge Game" is a Simulation game with splendid mechanics and delightful visuals, accompanied by good music for a calming experience. However, the game is very grinding, has too many ads, and is prone to bugs. The game invites players to take a break and enjoy its smooth colors in a relaxing idle environment.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,000 reviews

gameplay24 positive mentions

monetization392 negative mentions

Visually appealing with a minimalist aesthetic.
Optional ads that provide meaningful rewards without being intrusive.
Relaxing gameplay that allows for casual play without pressure.

Progression slows significantly after reaching higher levels, making it feel grindy.
Game can crash frequently, leading to loss of progress.
Limited late-game content and repetitive gameplay can lead to boredom.

monetization
432 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
1%
91%
The monetization model of the game is largely praised for its optional ads, which provide valuable rewards without being intrusive or forced upon players. Many users appreciate the ability to progress without watching ads, although some express frustration over the necessity of ads for faster progression and the occasional technical issues with ad rewards. Overall, the game strikes a balance between offering in-game purchases and maintaining a user-friendly experience with minimal ad interruptions.
- “This game is addicting, and the best part is there's little to no ads unless you choose to watch them for extra power-ups and stuff!”
- “No ads unless you want to watch one for a bonus.”
- “Great game, no ads unless you want to get a boost but the boosts aren't necessary for a good rate of progression 11/10”
- “The game is quite relaxing as you see the tiles breaking and changing colors, but besides that the in-game purchases are a bit criminal; $5.89 to unlock a vault only once is a bit much.”
- “Unfortunately, progression is slow right from the start, and the microtransactions are pretty insulting (12,000 prisms for $5, or 20 prisms for watching a 30-second ad which you can't watch on demand).”
- “However, if you want to progress, you either need to watch tons of ads for bonuses or pay-to-win.”
gameplay
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
65%
4%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its simplicity and repetitive nature, leading to a lack of long-term engagement and variety. While some players appreciate the relaxing and casual mechanics, many express frustration over slow progression, minimal changes in gameplay, and the absence of new mechanics as they advance. Overall, the game offers a soothing experience with optional ads, but it struggles to maintain excitement and depth over time.
- “The gameplay is really smooth and it's quite soothing.”
- “Everything about it is just perfect for me: only optional ads (that give you good boosters!), clean graphics and animations, and relaxing gameplay that's perfect to wind myself down.”
- “Satisfying gameplay and easy to navigate menus.”
- “Up to this point it's a fun game but there's absolutely no late game gameplay.”
- “Main problem with this game is that there is no change in gameplay throughout the game.”
- “It's an alright game, but the gameplay loop quickly dries up and adds not much more to prestige.”
graphics
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
35%
5%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their simplicity and aesthetic appeal, with many users highlighting the calming colors and pleasing visuals that enhance the overall experience. The minimalist design and smooth animations contribute to a relaxing gameplay atmosphere, while the lack of intrusive ads is also appreciated. However, some players noted that the graphics can be basic at times, and there are occasional technical issues that may affect performance.
- “Beautiful and satisfying theme colors and graphics.”
- “Calming and beautiful graphics, well thought out details.”
- “The graphics are simple and very pleasing to look at.”
- “The aesthetic reminds me of 2016 cyberpunk in the worst way possible.”
- “It's okay, just repetitive, and there's no real spice to the game; the graphics are basic, the triangles hit the shapes and bounce to hit other shapes, it's nothing really special.”
- “The visuals are rough, the text is kinda small, and the game did not pull me in at all.”
music
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
71%
8%
The game's music aspect has received consistent feedback highlighting a significant absence of sound effects and background music, which many players feel detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the ability to play their own music without interruption, a majority express a desire for calming or ambient tunes to enhance the relaxing nature of the game. Overall, the lack of music is seen as a missed opportunity to elevate the gameplay, with many reviewers suggesting that its addition could significantly improve player engagement.
- “Love the game but you would think that something that has to do with relaxing would have relaxing music.”
- “For a zen game, we need some smooth ambient tunes or wicked dubstep, and other than optional music, optional sound effects like light glass shattering or something would be cool!”
- “Very relaxing game, I usually play this while listening to zen music and just kind of space out.”
- “This game could have potential as an enjoyable idle game but for me it falls way short for the one reason that there are zero sounds or background music.”
- “For a simple game where you do not do much at all, you really need the bonus of some tranquil music.”
- “Overall okay game.. add some calming music and a gentle sound of the shards breaking.. would be much better.. it's awfully quiet.”
grinding
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While some enjoy the challenge and fun of grinding, many express frustration with the excessive grind, particularly at higher levels, leading to a sense of stagnation and boredom. Suggestions for improvement include adjusting the grind curve and offering options to reduce ad interruptions.
- “The game got boring for me, largely due to how tedious tapping the collect button got or how long it eventually takes to clear levels in addition to a lack of real progression sense.”
- “Starts out great, gets a bit grindy at level 300, gets super grindy at 400, gets unbearably grindy around 430 and I checked out.”
- “Game has way too much grinding and isn't fun after a while.”
stability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
92%
The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with frequent glitches and crashes reported, particularly when accessing menus or during gameplay. While some players find it enjoyable and relatively stable overall, many experience frustrating freezes that disrupt their experience, leading to the need for restarts. Overall, the game is described as having a mix of minor bugs and major stability issues that detract from its enjoyment.
- “The game runs great, is easy to grasp the concept, and enjoyable.”
- “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a smooth gaming experience.”
- “The stability of the game allows me to focus on strategy rather than technical issues.”
- “Plus it glitches out constantly.”
- “It's not a bad game, but it is very buggy.”
- “But when I can't play for more than 30 seconds before it freezes and crashes, it's not a lot of fun.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while many players enjoy smooth performance, some have reported issues such as stuttering and crashes, particularly following recent updates and at higher levels.
- “The game itself is fun and runs smoothly.”
- “The optimization is impressive, allowing for seamless gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
- “I appreciate how well the game performs; it maintains a steady frame rate and minimizes loading times.”
- “Fun game, but it started stuttering and crashing.”
- “After the last update (I suppose it was the last update), I start getting micro stutterings after about a minute.”
- “Performance is poor at higher levels.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Overall, opinions on replayability are mixed; while some players find the game engaging with features like damage increase that enhance replay value, others feel it lacks long-term appeal and quickly loses interest.
- “Love the old school game geometric vibe, and the 'restart, but with damage increase' really gives the game strong replayability.”
- “Was cool for a month or so and poof, just like that I'm uninstalling it, no replay value.”
- “I love it a lot because it is replayable and it doesn't force you to watch ads.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game to be a deeply emotional experience, initially relaxing and interesting, but evolving into something that evokes strong feelings, even leading to tears. The wholesome elements, combined with a balanced ad experience, enhance the overall emotional connection to the game.
- “Don't get me wrong, it was relaxing and interesting at the beginning, but now it makes me want to cry.”
- “I love this game! Sometimes it will freeze, but the ad ratio is perfect. When you choose to watch an ad, it will give you a nice note. It's so wholesome, and I love it! 💕”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with users highlighting it as great, simple, and genuinely funny, contributing to an enjoyable gaming experience.
- “Great, simple, and funny game.”
- “Funny game”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its relaxing atmosphere, creating a calming and enjoyable experience for players.
- “This game has a very relaxing atmosphere.”