Strimko Game Review by Ashley Raybourn
Game Rating = 3/5
This puzzle game, brought to you by Braintonik, combines the theory of Sudoku with more challenging rules. In addition to the basic columns-and-rows play of Sudoku, Strimko adds a third element: streams. The goal is to place each number once in each row, column and stream, a connected sequence. Puzzles vary from 4×4 to 7×7 blocks and shapes.
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Why you should buy:
*Logic puzzles like Sudoku help maintain brain function.
*The puzzles are mesmerizing and addictive.
*Increasingly difficult puzzles keep your attention, but are not so difficult that you will become easily frustrated.
Why you should pass:
*There are cheaper options than this game, like a Sudoku puzzle book.
*We’ve heard this story before and it is just a placeholder to advance from puzzle to puzzle.
*Solving the puzzles is fun, but in the end it is anticlimactic.
Gameplay:
In story mode the player helps Luana, an otherworldly being, collect Amulets to save her dying planet. Solving a puzzle provides a key to unlock a chest containing an Amulet needed to sustain life on the planet, such as running water.
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Classic mode allows the player to choose the type of puzzle he or she wants to play. Each type of puzzle builds on one basic puzzle called Zen. A Zen puzzle is a basic square with rows, columns and streams. Pave puzzles are similar to a jigsaw puzzle and require the proper placement of stream connections into the Zen square. Fit puzzles combine elements of Zen and Pave puzzles but the streams are already connected and must be rotated to fit the Zen square. In story mode, all of these puzzle types are used and matching puzzles are interspersed to break up the intense concentration.
Graphics:
Strimko uses very little animation and is simply a point-and-click game. The colors are vibrant neon blues, greens, pinks and purples that evoke an image of fantasy and surrealism.
Sound:
The sound is of good quality but is not the focal point of the game. Strimko music is a looped, mystical and ethereal soundtrack reminiscent of spa ambiance. The music does not distract the player from the task at hand and actually helps in keeping the player focused.
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Creativity and Innovation:
Though the story is unoriginal and adds little to the point of completing the puzzles, Strimko does offer a new take on classic Sudoku for those looking for more of a challenge.
Strimko is available for PC, iPhone and as a web-based version. The full PC download costs $14.95 but is not worth the price. Too much emphasis is placed on a gimmicky story that does not enhance the game. It seems that at least half of all puzzle game stories, and lately a lot of movies, involve saving a dying planet. While the graphics are visually appealing, the price is too high for a simple point-and-click game.
