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Dissembler ($2.99) by Ian MacLarty is a minimalistic puzzle game about unraveling bold, abstract designs, one color at a time. It's like a match-three game, except for the fact that no more tiles come to replace the ones you clear out. If you enjoyed recent titles like Stack & Crack, Invert, and Crystal Cove, then you'll like what Dissembler has to offer.

Though most of my time is taken up by Monster Hunter: World these days, I still love my puzzle games. In fact, I still prefer them when I just want to do nothing but relax, as it definitely helps take my mind off of the more stressful things going on right now. And while it feels like I've gone through most of the different types of puzzle games on the App Store, I can't help but keep an eye out for more, as I can't get enough. When I saw Dissembler on the App Store, I knew it was another one that I needed in my collection, and when I saw it was by the guy who made Boson X, it just confirmed it.

$0.99

Stack & Crack

Jambav, Inc

$2.99

Invert – Tile Flipping Puzzles

Noodlecake Studios Inc

$1.99

Crystal Cove

Andrey Spencer

$2.99

Boson X

Ian MacLarty

Visually, Dissembler is pretty simple and clean. On the surface, it looks just like a 2D game, but with the shadow effects and how the tiles flip, there's more layers of depth to it than meets the eye. The creamy beige backdrop provides great contrast for the colored tiles that you're matching, and the tiles are bright and vibrant. Animations are smooth and fluid on my iPhone 8 Plus, and the game features an ambient soundtrack that helps with relaxing your mind. If you're colorblind, the default colors may be a bit hard to see, so fortunately, the developer implemented a colorblind mode as well. The clicking sound effects are fun to listen to, at least for me, and remind me of wind-up toys. Overall, the developer did an excellent job with the visual and audio design for Dissembler.

Dissembler has three game modes: Puzzle (Default), Daily, and Infinite. In Puzzle, players go through a series of various designs, figuring out the correct sequence to make the matches (at least three or more) of tiles in order to clear them all out and have a clean slate. Daily has a new set of puzzles for each day, meaning something new to look forward to. The puzzles in these two modes start out simple enough, but become more intricate and complex as you go, requiring some thought and planning to make sure no tile gets left behind.

Infinite is slightly different than the other two modes. Instead of dealing with single-colored squares, you'll have squares with three rings of color to them, all arranged neatly in a square grid. There's the outer, middle, and inner rings, which are all different colors. You'll be matching the outer ring color first, and then the middle ring expands to fill the outer layer, the inner ring becomes the middle, and a new color shows up in the center. You'll make matches until there are no more possible moves. Infinite also has Relaxed and Hard modes, so you can pick the flavor that best suits the mood you're in.

Controls in Dissembler are easy enough for anyone to understand, and it's pretty intuitively designed for touch screens. Honestly, it would be hard to play something like Dissembler with physical button controls, so this is the perfect platform for it. To swap a colored tile with an adjacent one, just swipe on it in the direction you want to swap it with. If it's a viable move, then the two become a single piece and "flip" over. Otherwise, they just return to their original position.

Remove all of the colored tiles by flipping tiles to make matches.

The Good

Dissembler is a unique matching puzzle that is not your typical match-three. It demands strategizing and planning to figure out the correct sequence to make your matches in, almost like a brain teaser. And while it's proper to go through the puzzles in order, there is an option to Unlock All, so you can play them in any order that you want, which is nice for those who get stuck easily.

The Infinite mode is the most fun, though. I like that it offers this, because I usually just prefer to play endless games and just try to best my own scores. Having the personal challenge keeps me motivated to play.

On top of it all, Dissembler has some great minimal aesthetics and charming sound and music. Like the developers other games, this is another one that's well designed.

The Bad

Honestly, it's hard to find anything negative about Dissembler. But if I had to pick out a flaw, it's the fact that a game about colors doesn't let players change the color theme. There's only the default option and colorblind mode. I would like to see a variety of color palettes added in the future, which could spice up the game to suit everyone's favorite hues.

The verdict

As a big puzzle lover, Dissembler may be my new favorite for the time being. I love the simple and clean graphics, the music is charming, and the gameplay is fun and challenging. I also like the fact that there are no in-app purchases, and the game even lets you unlock all of the puzzles so you can go through them all at your own pace. I just hope to see more color palettes added in future updates, just to add some variety.

Dissembler is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $2.99.

9.2

OVERALL

Game Controls 10

Replayability 9

Graphics 9

Sound/Music 9

Gameplay 9

$2.99

Dissembler

Ian MacLarty

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Florence ($2.99) by Annapurna Interactive is an interactive storybook that details the highs and lows of a young woman's first love. If you like games that are more about the storytelling and experience, such as Life Is Strange, then you will be charmed by Florence.

Ah, first love — we've all had one, or are still in a relationship with one. I remember when I had my first boyfriend at the age of 16, and I thought that it would last forever. Nope. It's a learning experience, and one that I'm quite thankful for. So when I saw Florence on the App Store, I was drawn in by how relatable this experience seemed to be. I had to check it out for myself, and this is definitely one that pulls at your heartstrings.

$2.99

Life Is Strange

SQUARE ENIX Ltd

Visually speaking, Florence is beautiful, though I suppose that's to be expected from the lead designer of Monument Valley. The game is entirely hand drawn in a simple art style that evokes the "slice of life" aesthetic. The color palette in Florence features a nice mix of soft pastels and brighter hues, along with darker, gloomier shades. Each kind of color conveys a different meaning and emotion in Florence, so the variety that it offers is nice. Animations are smooth and fluid, so I had no issues on my iPhone 8 Plus. The soundtrack to Florence is also pretty whimsical and emotional, as it helps convey the sentiment that you're supposed to feel during particular scenes.

Since Florence is an interactive storybook experience, the "game" is broken up into a handful of different acts, and there could be one to three chapters per act. The chapters are simply titled with one or two words, but they're enough to tell you what scenario is going to happen next. The titles are also relatable to our real lives as well, which is what I love about the game.

The story of Florence goes like this: Florence is a 25-year-old woman who has a daily routine, like we all do. Get up, get ready for work, commute and check social media, work, talk to mom on the phone, go home, eat dinner, sleep, rinse and repeat. It's a rut that we all feel stuck in sometimes. Then Florence meets a cello player named Krish, and they begin dating. Krish is responsible for changing how Florence sees the world and herself.

Like any relationship, there are the ups and the downs. Each chapter represents a different experience in Florence and Krish's relationship. As you explore their connection to each other, you'll get to play various mini-games vignettes. You'll be there when they flirt with each other on their first date, to witnessing their first heated argument, and then helping each other follow their dreams and passions. But eventually they grow apart, like most of us do with our first love.

One thing that I love about the mini-games is the fact that they resemble actual, real-life experiences when it comes to dating someone.

For example, as Florence and Krish first start talking to each other, the puzzle pieces that resemble their chat bubbles are six pieces. It symbolizes how hard it can be to come up with conversation topics on the first date. As they grow closer with one another and know more about each other, their chat bubble puzzles only have three pieces.

There are only 20 chapters total in Florence, and it's easy to get through them all rather quickly. Still, it's a roller coaster of emotion, and by the end of it, you feel closer to Florence than you ever did, and you may even know exactly what she's been through.

An interactive storybook that is filled with mini games, and follows the story for a first love.

The Good

Florence is an excellent storytelling experience with the slice of life plot. It's the story of your first love, which we've all been through at some point, and it hits close to home. It highlights all of the good and the bad of a relationship, and provides valuable life lessons. Plus, the visual style and music evoke even more emotion from you. It's hard to not tear up just a bit while playing this.

The Bad

The only negative to Florence is the length. Again, it's only 20 chapters long, and it's easy to get through them all (or at least most) in less than an hour. For the amount of money, some may not think it's worth it. However, if you appreciate a good story, then Florence's tale is worth it.

The verdict

Once I started Florence, it was hard to stop. I went from knowing nothing about Florence to knowing everything about her daily life and then about her and Krish. It reminded me of my relationships, and I'll admit it — I got quite emotional. I love slice of life experiences, and Florence is definitely one you don't want to miss.

Florence is on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for $2.99.

8.5

OVERALL

Game Controls 10

Sound/Music 10

Graphics 9.5

Gameplay 8

Replayability 5

$2.99

Florence

Annapurna Interactive

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