Tumblestone is a top down puzzle game that involves matching 3 of the same color/shapes in order to progress through the levels.
General Gameplay
The gameplay has a top down view in which you have to match three of the same item to clear it off the board. During the process if you clear out the wrong pieces and cannot reach the other ones then you have to redo the level over. A puzzle style game to its core.
Audio
As expected with a title like this there is some background music within the game that matches the theme of the level. It is a catchy tune but nothing that you would be humming around the house or anything. Also the game does not support 5.1 surround sound so for those that are using surround systems you are out of luck. Also because of the stereo sound it goes well for those that use headsets to hear game audio out of. Parents there is no type of lyrics or vocals to the music in the game so there was no concerns there.
Visuals
As it being a puzzle game it is just basic visuals and layout. We did see a colorblind mode which helps a lot with the game being easier for people to play. The block can either animate or not based on what you choose in the options. However to a surprise for a game like this that it is very easy able to approach and pick up and play based on how it looks on screen. This game looks great with its cute shapes and characters, very family friendly and for the whole family to enjoy.
Controls
The controls are very simple, With the left and right moving the character at the bottom and one button to fire your shot to get rid of the piece and move on to the other. The controls work here for a game like this. In our playtest we did not see any family member of our gaming family have any issues with the controller. As this is a simple (well we will get back to that in a moment) puzzle game this controls work for it. Parents that are wondering, there is no need to purchase any special controllers or any other accessories.
Delivery
If you are looking for a decent puzzle game with challenge, then Tumblestone will be it. However be warned that the game does get very difficult very fast. As you play and get to better understand how the game mechanics works, you will see harder puzzles and will fail multiple times. As this is common to puzzle games some family gaming members may not like to play a game where they can get stuck on a level for a while. In our play through some of our family gamers did not like the challenge getting to hard and some just flat out stop playing in frustration. Is that saying that this is a bad game, no it is only saying that the game is not meant for everyone and for parents that have children that get frustrated easily in gaming that this may not be for them. However for those in your gaming family that are looking for a good puzzle game, Tumblestone will fill that puzzle void.
Family Friendly
As we stated in our Delivery section that this can become a hard puzzle game for some gamers, so again parents be sure to take caution on picking up this title for the family. As it being a puzzle game it may not resonate with all of the family members wanting to play this. The game does come with an “arcade” mode in which you can play the game up to four players but it is more of a paid add on. We felt that it should have been added to the game but it was not. Again this is a great puzzle game for those that like this style of gaming. With over 100 levels it will keep the most die-hard puzzle family member in your gaming household busy for a while. What to take into consideration is that the frustration factor of just missing one piece and starting that level over and over again. So this can be a deterrent for some casual puzzle gaming fans in your family.
Closing
Tumblestone is a good puzzle game, but with it increase difficulty and limited multiplayer offerings it may not fit into the gaming family library of puzzle games.
