Puzzle: Underwater World Reviews

6/10

[b][quote][url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asset_flip]Warning: Asset Flip![/url][/quote][/b]Puzzle: Underwater World is an asset flip, or what Valve calls a "Fake Game". The "developer" paid for/pirated someone else's example/template/tutorial game, changed the name/reskinned a couple of things, and submitted it to Valve as if it was their own game. This time they stole a basic template for a sliding tile puzzle game... and they did a bad, bad job of reskinning it. This has absolutely zero value as a serious game for gamers. Boogygames Studios have shown a repeat pattern of unethically dumping other people's work onto Steam as a cheap, nasty cash grab, through this account or through closely linked/alt accounts. Here's some examples so you can see for yourself: [list] [*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/713590]Hidden Object - Food[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/systems/hidden-object-game-template-19394]Hidden Object Game Template[/url] developed by Puppeteer [*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/714570]Hidden Object - Tools[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/systems/hidden-object-game-template-19394]Hidden Object Game Template[/url] developed by Puppeteer [*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/666800]Solitaire - Cat Pirate Portrait[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/tutorials/klondike-solitaire-complete-game-tutorial-101265]Klondike Solitaire Complete Game Tutorial [/url] developed by University of Games [*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/973200]Case Simulator Weapons and Armors[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/packs/yet-another-case-opener-91635]Yet Another Case Opener[/url] developed by NeraQuam [*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/909830]Color By Number - Pixel Draw[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/systems/pixel-art-color-by-number-117587]Pixel Art: Color By Number[/url] developed by Moana Studio [*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1431210]MahJong - Medieval Fantasy[/url]" = [url=https://marketplace.yoyogames.com/assets/3337/mahjong-game-engine]Mahjong Game Engine[/url] developed by SmallBigSquare [*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1053780]Pixel Art Monster - Color By Number[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/systems/pixel-art-color-by-number-117587]Pixel Art: Color By Number[/url] developed by Moana Studio [*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/681150]Rainbow Duck[/url]" = [url=https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/packs/switch-the-gravity-63196]Switch The Gravity[/url] developed by App Advisory [*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/709940]Weapon and Armor: Mahjong[/url]" = [url=https://marketplace.yoyogames.com/assets/3337/mahjong-game-engine]Mahjong Game Engine[/url] developed by SmallBigSquare [*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/718350]Loot Collection: Mahjong[/url]" = [url=https://marketplace.yoyogames.com/assets/3337/mahjong-game-engine]Mahjong Game Engine[/url] developed by SmallBigSquare [*] "[url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/707610]Food Mahjong[/url]" = [url=https://marketplace.yoyogames.com/assets/3337/mahjong-game-engine]Mahjong Game Engine[/url] developed by SmallBigSquare [/list] Taking this shovelware seriously as if it was a genuine attempt to make a game, it doesn't meet basic minimum requirements that most PC gamers expect as standard. While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality. Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lacklustre 2D visuals. The controls can't be customised because the game has such a dumbed down, simplified interface that it's just iPhone screen tapping stuff. The fact that the interface is this dumbed down might be seen as a problem in itself, however... this is a fairly shallow experience if you're the kind of gamer that likes to play games with deep, rich control schemes and interaction. You'll get none of that here. This looks and feels like a mobile app, but I wasn't able to find it on the app stores. Maybe it was removed, maybe it was rejected by Apple and Google (they do have more rigorous quality standards than Valve does for Steam, after all). Regardless, for all intents and purposes Puzzle: Underwater World might as well be a mobile app, it has the same limitations and dumbed down qualities. It's impossible to recommend such a game to PC gamers. We don't spend all this money building gaming rigs so we can pretend they're iPhones and play games that might as well be mobile apps. These technical defects push this game below acceptable standards for any modern PC game. It's also important to note the "developer" here has connections to a number of shady Russian asset flippers and review manipulators who show an organised pattern to scam and defraud gamers with fake reviews and asset flipping the work of others for profit. While reviews are about the games, gamers should be informed when developers act unethically. Whether these connections are the same developer using multiple accounts, or just working closely with other unethical developers, gamers should be warned about the harm to gamers by this developer and their associates. Buying games from unethical developers puts your money at risk. Puzzle: Underwater World is relatively cheap at $1 USD, but it's not worth it. Given the defects and quality issues with the game, coupled with the unrealistic price, and the questionable ethical nature of the developer and/or their associates (as outlined above), this is impossible to recommend. Because this is the kind of game you can just play for free on mobile phones, it's impossible to recommend anyone should pay money for the same experience on Steam.

I tried playing this game several times. Unfortunately, no matter how many times I restarted, the game never acknowledged any completed boards. The clock just continued to click down until I exited back to the main menu. It's too bad. I really enjoy these kinds of puzzle games, but I consider this unplayable.

Does this game generate unsolvable puzzles ? I was playing a 3x3 board, and the numbers in order from top-left to bottom right were: 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 7 I think that might be unsolvable. I'd like to request a bug fix. Either way, it's a fun game, if you like tile-shifting puzzles, which I do.

If you've so much as looked at the games pictures, you know what you're getting here. I've done a lot of variations of this kind of puzzle and am very quick at them. The game offers 3 different boards (puzzles) in 3x3, 4x4, or 5x5. The starting placements are random. When you solve one, the puzzles don't end, the counter doesn't stop, and there's no congradulations message. So, if you like doing the simple number puzzles and nothing else, then get it. If you don't want to spend $0.50, then I'm sure you can find a flash version online for free. Also, there is no volume control in game, so I had to reduce its volume on Windows Volume Mixer(the game was very loud when opened).

A buggy game. Some given puzzles happen to be unsolvable (odd permutations, see Loyd's puzzles), while for the rest of the puzzles, the game may even fail to check if the board has been solved. Also, there seems to be no cursor or keyboard control, so clicking only. Overall: 2/10