FROST is a Puzzle Game Bursting With Life
FROST ($4.99) by kunabi brother is a soothing puzzle game experience that makes reality melt away. If you enjoyed recent puzzles like Campfire Cooking and Motif, then you are bound to love FROST.
Life's been fairly stressful for me lately, so I enjoy just sitting at home and relaxing with games on my iPhone. While recent games like ICEY are perfect for me to get some frustrations out, I usually prefer puzzles to help me unwind. I love puzzle games because they're calming and stimulating at the same time. And while I've gone through most puzzles on the App Store, I can't help but be on the lookout for new ones when the opportunity arises. FROST is one of those games that mesmerizes you with screenshots, and I knew I had to check this out for myself. Like the developer's previous release (BLEK), FROST does not disappoint.
Blek
kunabi brother GmbH
Campfire Cooking
Layton Hawkes
Motif.
Tarik Canturk
Visually, FROST is gorgeous thanks to Apple's Metal 2 GPU. The game consists of nothing more than glowing orbs and light particles, yet it's all beautiful. While FROST appears to take place in a 2D plane, because the flow of the particles can change, it may look a bit 3D at times when the particles appear to come out towards you. It's a nice effect that's rather peaceful and tranquil.
The colors in FROST range from bright neons to more muted tones, but everything meshes together nicely. All animations are smooth and fluid, with no lag on my iPhone 8 Plus. There's an ambient and atmospheric soundtrack that plays in the background, and the whimsical sound effects are delightful to listen to. The developers did an excellent job with FROST's visual and audio design, that's for sure.
Like other puzzle games, FROST is level-based and players must go through each stage in chronological order. It's unclear how many total levels there are since you have to go through them all to find out, but there's definitely a good amount for the buck.
The goal in FROST is to guide the flocking spirits (particles of light) back to their home planets (glowing orbs). The game starts out easy enough, but then you have to figure out correct pathways, perfect timing, and other obstacles that stand in your way. Despite the difficulty picking up at a gradual pace, the game is still incredibly relaxing thanks to hypnotic light particles.
Controls in FROST are simple and intuitive. In each stage, a flow of spirits comes in somewhere on the screen. You must draw a path with your finger from that stream to the corresponding planet. You'll see your path appear "depressed" on the screen, as it will end up being slightly lighter than the background. Small particles indicate the path that the spirits will take once the current gets picked up. To get rid of your paths and start fresh, just tap anywhere on the screen.
As you get the spirits to their home, you'll notice a ring fill up around the planet. This indicates the number of spirits each world needs, and once it's full, you'll have a limited amount of time before it slowly begins to deplete. When a level involves multiple planets, you must make sure to get the spirits where they need to go in a timely manner so that all planets are filled and don't run dry. It sounds easy enough, but it's much harder than you think, especially when multiple colored spirits and differently sized planets come into play.
FROST is a game that's all about the universe and life, which is apparent as you watch the particles dance and freely flow on the screen. There's also mysteries behind everything that will unravel and reveal itself as you make progress in the game. FROST is always in constant motion, and it's all about balance.
The makers of Blek have a new path drawing puzzler for you.
The Good
FROST is downright stunning with the exquisite graphics that are made possible by Apple's Metal 2 GPU. This is a game that makes a great case for showing off the capabilities of your iPhone or iPad. The sound design is also peaceful and delightful to listen to as you guide the spirit particles, so it's an excellent choice to relax with after a long day. Controls are simple and the puzzles themselves are rather challenging the further you get.
The Bad
For the most part, FROST is excellent. But the game does not explain much to the player, whose left to figure things out on their own. While it's not a big deal for me, some may be annoyed by the lack of guidance. And if you're not impressed by watching many light particles floating around on a screen, creating some wickedly cool designs, then I'm afraid this game may not be for you.
The verdict
I love games that help me take a load off after a long day, and FROST does exactly that. The graphics are top notch quality and show off what our iDevices are capable of. The music and sounds help put your mind at ease and focus on figuring out the puzzles, which can be challenging later on. Controls are cleverly designed and intuitive for the platform. There's plenty of content for the price, and this is one game that you'll find hard to put down once you get going.
I recommend giving FROST a try if you're in the mood for a soothing puzzle game about life. You can find FROST on the App Store as a universal download on the iPhone and iPad for just $4.99.
9.2
OVERALL
Graphics 10
Replayability 9
Game Controls 9.5
Sound/Music 9
Gameplay 8.5
FROST
kunabi brother GmbH
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