Today’s review is going to be about “Gamine”. It’s the second time we are reviewing an app by the talented Barichello. Last time we’ve introduced you to the adorable baseball playing cat in “RetroKitty“. This time it is a completely different genre and design. Let’s take a closer look!

Which villain hero you want to be?

Mysterious first impression

The first thing, that really popped/jumped right into my eye is the great design and color scheme. It conveys the feeling of something secret, mysterious or even underground. You are able to choose between three contrasting colors (and heroes), all of them really stand out against the black. The font is very fitting as well. All in all, I think the design is simple, yet nicely done. Secondly, I’ve noticed the background music. It’s moody sounding piano music that helps to bring out and deepen the atmosphere. And I seriously love it!

Lastly, I dig the gameplay: you have to match the tiles to decrypt the code. I had to look around for a short explanation first (the question mark, duh!), but it is really accessible and straightforward and therefore makes it easy to jump right into playing.

Lost potential

Whereas the game is easy to play- it is very hard to master. I failed many times and didn’t manage to finish the seven tiles. An ascending level of difficulty or longer time, in the beginning, would be nice for newbies.

While I understand that the game challenge itself is the main attraction of this app, I would furthermore prefer that it makes use of the already set potential and give this game a background story. As of now, it already has the mood, the design, the distinctive characters. Even just an intro or a story screen after failing or winning a level would be a great addition.

And lastly, I was disappointed that the awesome music isn’t audible during the levels. Such a shame! Please let us listen to it while trying to crack the code. It surely makes it even more thrilling!

Cryptex meets dominoes.

The Verdict

If you’d like to train your brain and reaction time while solving a puzzle of a different kind, give “Gamine” a try here.

All pictures are in-game screenshots.