Recent reviews by Sandemonium

Good game, devs need to stop nerfing everything fun, but they do seem responsive to the community.

Containment is a "bejeweled style" of puzzle game, only rather than connecting colors, the object is to surround individual and groups of zombies on all sides (up, down, right, left - NOT diagonal) with the same type of human in order to kill it. Zombies on the edge of the puzzle are much easier to kill as you don't have to surround the side on the edge. So there are cases throughout the game where only 1 human is needed to kill a zombie, however rare, but there are many cases where only 2 or 3 are needed.

Where this can get very challenging and out of hand quickly, is that groups must be completely surrounded. Depending on the size and shape of the group, it's not always easy to see how many you're going to need right off hand, or where they need to go, and as you're thinking this through, the puzzle is changing as the zombies start to eat a human next to them. That human then turns into a zombie and suddenly you need more of the same human to complete your zombie corral.

To avoid making this incredibly repetitive and boring (not to mention nearly impossible, but that will make more sense in the next paragraph), there are a few additional game mechanics, the first of which is special zombies - for example, zombies that take 2 hits (must be surrounded twice), zombies that spawn other zombies when killed, wizard zombies that seem to have a shield, and a few other special/boss zombies.

The other game mechanic involved is weapons. Throughout the game boxes will spawn, whether from clicking on an interactable item such as a trash can, or from getting a combo. These boxes contain "random" (there's a system, but it's not worth explaining here) weapons that range from killing a single zombie to wiping out an entire row of zombies or humans, whatever gets in the way. I'm estimating about 10 different weapons. It may be possible to beat the game without these, but I doubt I could pull it off, and I don't see a point in trying.

The campaign is set up as a story, like most games. It's very linear and between puzzles it gives you a few more lines from the survivors' point of view as they try to escape and survive this zombie apocalypse. As you move from block to block, or puzzle to puzzle, however you view it, not all puzzles are the same shape. Obstacles will split the puzzle into smaller chunks, remove a small section of it, or in some cases, remove most of it. For example, you might click on a propane tank that explodes, dropping a billboard onto the puzzle, smashing and eliminating 1/3 of the entire puzzle within the first 2 seconds of the puzzle starting. Or a vehicle may come crashing into the puzzle.

Overall the game is fun, if a little short. The story, as you might imagine, is quite basic and cliche, not extremely well written, but this isn't a game you buy for the storyline, so if this turns you off the game, you should seriously reconsider your priorities.

The gameplay is fun, but while I can easily see it being incredibly addictive to some and giving them dozens of hours of play in survival mode, reaching personal bests, it's something I beat (the campaign), it entertained me for a few hours, but I don't see myself replaying it. If you get it on sale, it's well worth it. I don't think I'd pay more than about $5 for it, though. Who knows, maybe I'll find myself craving it down the road, but as of now, having just beat it, I'm ready to play something else.

Bottom line: If you can pick it up cheap and enjoy puzzles, give it a shot. I doubt you'll be disappointed. But if you're looking at paying more than a few bucks for it, maybe see if you can find a demo or someone else to let you try it first. All in all, I'm glad I got it for cheap and got to experience it. It's an indie title that works fine and plays well, but it's not extremely complicated, nor highly polished, but it's cheap.

Type Rider isn't for everyone, it's a somewhat educational platformer/puzzle (along the lines of Super Meat Boy, but far more family friendly, and not as hard). Honestly, had I not picked it up for "free" in a bundle I probably wouldn't have purchased it based on the the "cover". However, having played it, I'm glad I got it, and that I gave it a try. I would absolutely pay up to a few dollars for it (I'm cheap with games, that translates to about $5, MAYBE $10 for most people), had I not already played through it, and for most people there's virtually no replay value.

If you're looking for something that you can safely put your kids down in front of and let them have at it, without having to worry about what they might see or hear, this is perfect, and like I said, it's somewhat educational; teaching about the history of writing in the prologue, then little tidbits about several fonts throughout. If you're looking for a casual game, that will at times make you want to scream at your monitor, this is good for that as well.

The game is very creative, and although the first... probably 75% of the game is incredibly easy, the creativity in the gameplay made it fun. The music is very pleasant (save for the hidden level, you'll want to mute your speakers after the first attempt), and the artwork is well-done, IMO.

The unique physics made the game very interesting, by which I'm referring to the "character" being a colon; two round dots that are loosely attached, and can roll over each other, even going on separate sides of thin platforms at times, and slightly rubber-banding at other times. The same physics that make the gameplay intersting also make certain parts very challenging and frustrating, like when you're trying to balance on a narrow ledge and one dot keeps pulling the other off the side.

The entire game, including the very frustrating bonus level, took me a little under three hours, and that also included a trip to get food, so it's not very long, but ultimately it was entertaining, and even at the full $5 price, that means it was cheaper (for around the same length of entertainment) than going to a movie. I'd probably pay that, although I'm sure you can pick it up for a dollar or two on sale.