Coloroid
- Coloroid (2010 on Apple II)
Description
Coloroid is a puzzle game where the player attempts to fill the playfield with a single color. The playing field is divided into a number of rectangles of various colors; in the beginning, the top-left rectangle is marked with an outline. The player chooses a specific color from a list, and the outlined area expands to cover all rectangles it touches that are of this color. There is a limited number of moves to finish each level.
The player can freely choose the size of the board, the number of colors, and choose a rotating blocks option, which makes certain rectangles constantly change color.
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Average score: 1.2 out of 5 (based on 1 ratings)
The Good
Not much
The Bad
Broken mechanics
The Bottom Line
If you've already played a lot of puzzle games, you may think that good graphics and sound are all you need to have a satisfying intellectual experience. Coloroid, however, proves that if the puzzle itself is inherently flawed, no amount of technical flourish can save it (not that this game has a lot of technical flourish.)
The game concept seems original to me -- at least, I haven't seen quite anything like it before -- but it does not work that well. First, the "par" value is always the same for a given level size, which can be a problem; on the lower levels, the game can sometimes generate a puzzle which is impossible to solve within the move limit. (Here's an example.*) This doesn't happen that often, but it is a problem because the game keeps track of your win/lose quota. Such an unwinnable puzzle may permanently mar your statistics through no fault of your own.
Meanwhile on higher levels (larger boards), it's possible to figure out a simple way to win every time (I've sent it to the "Tips & Tricks" section), at which point the game becomes pointless.
On a side-note, the game suffers from a strange problem on my Android: the menu rotates with the device, but the game itself does not--it only works in one orientation. So you'll often find yourself pressing "Play" only to see your screen suddenly turn upside-down.
In short, Coloroid is the proof that some puzzles are just inherently flawed. If you're looking for a good puzzle game to pass your time, try looking for something with more thought put into it.
- In case the link expires: the layout in question is a 4x4 playfield, with four colors (Red, Green, Blue, Cyan), arranged like this: first row = R, G, B, G; row 2 = C, B, R, C; row 3 = B, R, C, G; row 4 = B, R, C, C. Try solving that in 5 moves or less. I checked all the possible combinations and found out it's impossible.
Android · by Havoc Crow (29861) · 2014
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Game added by Havoc Crow.
Game added January 8, 2014. Last modified February 22, 2023.