TwistLink is a Match-3-type game released by indiePixel Studios that requires you to twist the game pieces to orient 3 or more of the same color in the same direction. Utilizing a bit of foresight and keen strategy can really improve your score and drive you up the leaderboards in a hurry.
TwistLink’s gameboard is filled with colored circles, each with a diameter line to indicate horizontal or vertical orientation. Tapping a circle alters its orientation. Each time three circles of the same color create an unbroken diameter line, the circles disappear and the pieces above drop down to fill in their place. This is where the opportunity for strategy comes into play. Before causing circles to disappear and drop, you can determine where the dropping circles will end up. If they will fall in line with other circles of the same color, you can preset their orientations to line up, thereby creating a chain of disappearing circles that trigger the multiplier for a greater score. TwistLink also tracks the number of circles that disappear each time a match is created. Each match will contain between 3 and 5 circles. Reach 10 sets of 3, 4, or 5 to trigger a bonus score. As you progress through the game, more colors will be used in each level, making it more and more difficult to find three of the same color in line.
Special circles will also come into play in later stages. There is a white circle that can be linked to circles of differing colors to create a match. There are blacked out circles that cannot be linked to anything and effectively create dead spaces in your board. There are also pulsating red circles. Link these up with at least two other circles to trigger a bomb that clears out a large area of circles. Once you are left without any possible moves, the game is over. Global leaderboards allow you to compare your scores with other players.
Normal mode starts you off with 3 color types and no special circles. Hard mode starts you with 5 colors and special circles for a more challenging approach from the get-go. If you really want to test yourself, you can try Time Attack mode, where you play for 1, 3, 5, or 10 minutes. Rack up the highest score you can in a pressure-packed race to beat the clock.
Graphics are clear and simple, with a neon sign vibe to the puzzle. There are sound effects that play when matches disappear, but no background music. All actions are controlled by tapping the circles. It is an interesting twist (pun intended) on the Match-3 genre, creating a slightly more cerebral approach than is found in Bejeweled or any of the other popular games. Replayability is certainly present, as you try to best your own scores and climb the leaderboards. Though an enjoyable puzzler, it lacks a certain pizazz and we did not find ourselves drawn to playing it for more than a few minutes, resulting in a 4-Dimple rating.
TwistLink gets our AppSmile 3-Dimple rating:
