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Dream of Pixels | |
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Developer(s) | Dawn of Play |
Platform(s) | iOS, Android |
Release | November 15, 2012 |
Dream of Pixels is a mobile game developed by Slovenian studio Dawn of Play and released on November 15, 2012. Its available for iOS and Android.[1]
Gameplay[edit]
The gameplay is very similar to Tetris except players are able to cut out their own tetromino shapes from the wall and let them drop to clear rows.
Reception[edit]
The game has a Metacritic score of 86% based on 8 critic reviews.[2]
SlideToPlay said ' Regardless of the mode, Dream of Pixels is a fresh and fun take on the tried-and-true falling blocks game. '[3] AppAdvice said ' If you're in the mood for a fantastic falling blocks puzzle game, then I highly recommend you drop everything that you're doing right now and buy Dream of Pixels. In fact, if you can only get one game this week, make it this one. You won't regret it. '[4]
TouchArcade wrote ' The only potential flaws or suggestions I have for Dream of Pixels would be to allow players to switch out their tetromino or see upcoming tetrominoes for tactical strategies. Maybe it's not necessary, but seeing multiple pieces only in the puzzle mode's HUD made me miss them when they weren't in the others. '[5] 148Apps wrote ' It's amazing how fresh a classic puzzle game can feel with a little change in perspective. Dream of Pixels successfully revitalizes one of the most popular styles of puzzle, turns it on its head, and changes the rules while still keeping everything familiar.'[6] AppSpy said ' You'd think such a concept as reverse Tetris would be as easy to grasp as it would be trite, but Dream of Pixels is neither, delivering an engaging puzzle game with a unique concept. '[7]
PocketGamer said ' An interesting and engaging puzzler, Dream of Pixels isn't revolutionary, but it's an enjoyable beast all the same. '[8] TouchGen concluded 'A great puzzle game. It doesn't necessarily rewrite the book on puzzle games, but all in all, it's a solid package that is well worth a look if you are into the genre; especially Tetris-like puzzlers. '[9]
References[edit]
- ^Schroeder, Stan. ''Dream of Pixels', The Reverse Tetris Game, Hits Android'. Mashable. Retrieved 2016-07-23.
- ^'Dream of Pixels'. Metacritic.
- ^'Dream of Pixels Review'.
- ^Christine Chan. 'It's Time To Dream Of Pixels With This Addictive Puzzle Game'. AppAdvice.
- ^'Dream of Pixels Review - Touch Arcade'. Touch Arcade.
- ^'Dream of Pixels Review'. 148Apps.
- ^Dave Flodine (24 January 2013). 'Dream of Pixels Review'. appspy.com.
- ^http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPad/Dream+of+Pixels/review.asp?c=46956
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2013-06-05. Retrieved 2014-10-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dream_of_Pixels&oldid=918852774'
Every game can't be a comic book-inspired dash through the streets and rooftops of New York City. Sometimes you just want to relax with a nice puzzle game to relax with on your phone. Or maybe a really hard puzzle game – I'm not here to judge you guys.
That's what Slovenian indie developer Dawn of Play has given us with their first Windows Phone game, Dream of Pixels. You can describe Dream of Pixels as a 'reverse Tetris' game, given that it involves pulling apart a pile of blocks into Tetris-shaped pieces. But the game play really is quite fresh and challenging. Plus it's one of the loveliest puzzle games you'll come across, with a sharp 3D engine and gorgeous use of colors. Check out our impressions and hands-on video after the break!
As I just mentioned, the basic concept of Dream of Pixels is that players must take apart a large mass of blocks found at the top of the screen. It's like the morning after Tetris; somebody has to clean up the mess!
Thing is, you can't just tap away at the block pile and hope for the best. There are rules to this demolition project. First of all, you're looking for a specific Tetromino (piece) to pull out of the stack. You can usually remove that shape from several points within the block mass, and even press and hold to rotate the shape you're going to remove.
If you just pull blocks off willy-nilly (as I did in our video, whoops) the stack will be left with lots of random floating blocks. Players can't interact with disconnected blocks, and they will cause the game to end if you let them touch the bottom of the screen. Luckily, clearing the lines between the stack and the floaters will cause those floaters to return to the stack. Then you can clear them right, gosh darn it.
But wait, there's more! From time to time a white shape will appear within the stack. You could just ignore it and just pull it apart bit-by-bit as you work through the target shapes. But take the time to separate the surrounding blocks from the white piece without destroying it and you'll get four times the points, so some careful clearing is usually the way to go.
Also, pieces usually must have a clear path below them in order to be removed from the stack. This varies by game mode, though.
Plenty of game modes
Dream of Pixels starts out with a tutorial that I found slightly tough to follow. Chalk it up either to the distraction of shooting a video, or to the tutorial needing a little more explanatory text than what's there.
The main game offers six modes of play. Only three are available by default – the rest will unlock when certain conditions have been met.
- Classic: Try to survive and score as many points as you can. The level increases as you clear enough lines, making the block stack move faster.
- Puzzle: Take on 120 hand-crafted puzzles without the pressure of time! Instead of a big mass of blocks, the blocks actually make some fun and interesting shapes such as the Windows logo, a Pong scene, and a music note. Even the puzzle names are clever. The Puzzle mode is my favorite part of the game.
- FreeFall: Works like classic, except pieces don't need a clear path to the bottom in order to be removed from the stack. They just fall into the background.
- Pro: Unlocks after reaching Level 9 in Classic.
- Nightmare: Merge isolated blocks with the main cloud of blocks 100 times to unlock.
- Shattered Dream: Detach 42 white pieces to unlock this mode.
Besides offering a lot of things to do, Dream of Pixels is super pretty and features some catchy trance music to entertain the ears. The only thing the game really lacks is online leaderboards. Comparing scores with random players or friends would add a nice competitive element and additional replay value.
Like I said, Dream of Pixels is not an easy game. Even though it's based on a familiar puzzle game concept, the implementation is so different that your Tetris skills won't necessarily pay the bills. But if you like a puzzle challenge, you'll want to pick this one up. And there is a trial!
- Dream of Pixels – Windows Phone 8 – 66 MB – $2.99 – Store Link
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