Skeleton Key Review
I will be the first to admit I am not a huge fan of puzzle games. So I wasn’t terribly excited about reviewing this title. I am happy to report I was blown away. The game is amazing. This simple but elegant puzzle game is as addicting as it is difficult.
Each level has several keys placed throughout the screen. You have the ability to move left, right, or down. When you move one key – all the keys move in concert. The objective is to get each key to a treasure chest. This is accomplished by moving your keys around obstacles towards the chest.
The game forces you to consider what effect each move will have on all the keys – not just the key you are looking at. I often found myself focused on one key ignoring what my move was doing to the other keys.
If you do this for long you will trap your key and have to start the level over. This is where the fun and challenge begins. I had a blast trying out different combination’s and strategies to get through each level. The game throws in an extra layer of strategy by limiting the number of moves you can make per level.
The controls are intuitive and utilize finger swipes. The system works great and it does not matter which key you choose to move. My only complaint is the requirement to shake to restart the level.
I wish you could have the option to push a button because my shakes did not always register. The graphics are fairly simple and repetitive. This really does not detract from the game play. The music was a pleasant surprise.
You have the option to listen to your tunes, but I actually found myself listening to the game soundtrack more. The music almost reminds me of Age of Empires.
This game is great. There are 100 levels included making this title a great value. It mixes the formula up by adding doors to keep things interesting. The developer was kind enough to include the solutions to each level online if you become helplessly stuck. This game will stay on your device and have you coming back over and over again. A great value.
Positives: Fun Gameplay, Cool Music, Deep strategy
Negatives: Repetitive Graphics, Wish you didn’t have to shake to restart
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Hey everyone, I’m the developer for Skeleton Key. It looks like iTunes is featuring Skeleton Key in their What’s Hot section for the games category (only in iTunes, you can’t find it on an iPhone). So in honor of getting featured, I’m putting Skeleton Key on a 50% sale! It’s 99 cents now for a little while.
And I’m really glad everyone liked it. This is my first game, so it makes me happy that people like playing it. I’m planning some big updates, including different tilesets, more levels, etc.
[...] The game is amazing. This simple but elegant puzzle game is as addicting as it is difficult… Read full post » Rating in iTunes: 4.5 (10 Ratings) Download via iTunes [...]
this seems like a great puzzle game. The kind of puzzle is seems vauguely familiar but i cant name any games. Anyways, graphics dont mean much to me in a puzzle game so this seems really nice.
I’ve seen a few games like this. They can be fun depending on the screen layouts. I like the idea that the objects are keys rather than just some type of block or animal.
That a puzzle game that actually looks good enough to check out.
Seems like you genuinely liked this game.
If it can turn a “non-puzzler” into someone that enjoys this type of game, then that says a lot!
May just have to check this out myself now…
Looks like a very fun puzzle game. I like how the swipes affect all keys not just one so you really have to think about what you are doing. Very cool!