Decoder by Discord
Studios, Price: $9.95
Reviewed January 2004 by Tony Peak
Decoder is a rather simple project that's
well supported by solid programming, graphics, sound, and
story. In a market that sees far too many sloppy ideas and
cheap gimmicks, it's nice to see a well fleshed out concept
with a coat of polish.
Decoder basically plays like a mix of Minesweeper
with Tetris shapes. Much like minesweeper, when you tap a
block you're told how many blocks surround that square. Unlike
Minesweeper however, the goal isn't to avoid mines but to
uncover the blocks before the time runs out. Each square
shows how many related block squares are around it, and pressing
a wrong square will reset the squares around it and cost
you some time.
Figuring out which square to click next
is a mix of logic and guesswork. You only have general knowledge
of the shapes to go on, and a general idea of what direction
it could be in. There's really no good way to tell where
to move next. On the hard level, several squares will reset
all squares not yet locked into shapes and will also cost
you some time. What's more, there's absolutely no way to
tell where these squares are, and they have absolutely no
mark even after being clicked. I really feel the game depends
on trial and error far too much in place of what should be
logic.
Visually the game is quite solid. The shapes,
colors, game board, and menus are all high quality and show
good deal of effort. True, it's mostly just static graphics
and a little animation, but it's all well put together. Sound
is just as solid, with unique sound effects and a nice tone
effect when each level is cleared. The game isn't impossible
to play with the sound muted, but it is a bit harder. This
is something to keep in mind if you often play in public
where the sound must be off.
Decoder isn't without a quirk or two. For
example, you can exit to the menu and save at any time. A
great feature, but oddly enough there's no built in auto-save
or continue. It's an extra step that really shouldn't be
necessary. You must reenter your initials every game, which
should really be saved between plays. And finally, I would
have really liked there to be a better hint of where the
white noise squares are, more logic rather than guesswork.
None the less, it's a simple and fun concept that works quite
well.
Playing Hints and
Tips
• Don't just guess randomly,
work your way around the grid in sections. Build the blocks
in one area before moving on so you can easily identify patterns.
• Always watch the grid itself
to try and identify block shapes. Instead of randomly guessing
the next square, try to imagine the blocks snapping into
place and what shape would be needed. It won't always work,
but it'll help.
• Hit the menu button and save
every few levels so you don't have to start over if you lose. |
