3.4 hours played
Written 5 years ago
[b]twinfold[/b] is a really fun matching game, kinda like [b]2048[/b], but with enemies, deadly walls and skills to use. it's very easy to pick up and play but can get really hard and complex.
the game is [b]turn-based[/b], plays in [b]single-screen mazes[/b] and you [b]move everything at the same time[/b] with wasd or the arrow keys. I normally hate this mechanic in puzzlers, but this game works a bit differently. your goal is to push yellow numbered blocks together to duplicate their value over and over again, and eat them to gain xp and heal.
[b]health[/b] is important because [b]when you die, you have to start over from the beginning[/b], and also because [b]walls are deadly[/b]. if you push yourself against one, you lose a health point, and [b]there are enemies to deal with[/b] that can also harm you. every time you eat a yellow block, a single lost hp is restored, and after every match [b]walls move around[/b], effectively creating a new level, leaving you, enemies and yellow blocks where they are.
making matches also awards you [b]xp[/b], the amount will be the number on the yellow blocks when you eat them. to reach level 2, you need 16 points, 64 for level 3, 256 for level 4, 1024 for level 5, and so on, so there's quite a gap between them, that is why [b]it's essential to combine yellow blocks before eating them[/b]. consuming them separately gives the same xp and a single hp no matter how big the number is, but next turn [b]when new yellow blocks appear, they will start at half the value of the last one you consumed[/b].
after every [i]ding[/i] you get to [b]choose a skill, some active, some passive[/b]. the latter includes you or the yellow blocks being able to float over otherwise deadly pits, or offer an extra skill choice (3 instead of 4) at every level up, while active ones can turn enemies into other random enemies, let you create or destroy a wall, hit a single unit, skip a turn, change an enemy's direction, etc.
to [b]use active skills[/b], you need to kill enemies to increase the blue counter (I guess you could call it mana), as every skill uses up a certain amount.
[b]enemies[/b] come in various forms. I mean they're all rectangular, but there's one that simply mirrors your moves, another that can phase through walls, and they can have shields, protecting them from damage on that side. they mostly beeline towards you constantly, and mostly signpost where they'll move next turn, so it's possible to trick them. [b]leading them into walls or pits is the most effective tactic[/b], as bumping into them hurts you as well, but there are skills to aid you a bit in direct combat.
it's worth noting that [b]enemies can combine themselves and also heal by eating yellow blocks[/b]. the former is obviously bad, the more hp they have, the harder they are to kill, and the latter is unfortunate not only because of the healing aspect, but when you have a good number already and they eat one of the yellow blocks, it immediately halves the value of the next ones appearing.
[b]danger level[/b] is a constantly increasing factor to keep an eye on. it's affected by your level and a few other things, like the number of moves you make. it's possible to clear a level of enemies, but based on the danger level, new ones will arrive in a certain number, and after a certain number of turns. when their arrival is imminent, a number will show up at the location where they'll appear. if another unit is there, they won't spawn until the cell is free, but if you're standing there when they should appear, you get hurt.
[b]levels are random[/b], and while the game seems endless and due to its random nature, can be played indefinitely, [b]there's an actual end, even a secret ending[/b], though I have no idea how one would go about reaching it. I'm really bad and only managed a few thousand points, nowhere near the millions and billions you can see on the screenshots and would need for achievements if you're into those (they're for creating yellow blocks with those numbers, starting at 2048, not reaching that many points yourself).
it's weird that after reaching a hundred thousand points, it only says 100k instead of the actual number, same for 1 million, etc. I mean at that point hundreds or even thousands don't matter too much, but still. you do get an actual number on the game over screen though.
[b]fun fact:[/b] at the time of writing, more than a year after release, [b]nobody has found the secret ending[/b], and since the developer never posts on his games' forums, it might take a while until somebody figures it out.
not much to complaing about from a [b]technical standpoint[/b]. graphics are perfectly fine for a game like this, there's a single volume slider for the not-bad-but-annoying-after-a-while sound effects and there's no music. resolution options and windowed mode are available, and a [b]game speed slider and screen shake toggle[/b]. both are most welcome, as is the [b]single undo[/b], which might not be enough to completely save a run, but it can take you back from the game over screen.
[b]using undo decreases the score multiplier at the end of the run[/b], but there are [b]no leaderboards in the pc version[/b], so I wouldn't worry too much about it, even if you can lose millions if you reach that high. so I would actually prefer unlimited undo, just to play around, try new things. and while the game can be played with the keyboard and 'r' works as restart, [b]there's no way to confirm a restart with the keyboard[/b], need a mouse for that, which is a bit uncomfortable.
as I said at the beginning, it's [b]a very simple game, but surprisingly deep[/b] with all the skills and stuff I tried to explain concisely. it's [b]really fun, has that 'just one more try' feeling[/b], I only wish it had some hand-crafted content or permanent progression, as starting from scratch every time is a pain. the price isn't too bad either, and it tends to go at least half off during sales, so it's definitely recommended.
