GAME: Okay? by kamibox

GENRE: Hypercasual, puzzle

PLATFORMS: iOS, Android

To summarise puzzle games in the mobile market, most of them rehash various game mechanics that make you pop bubbles, crush candies, break bricks, cut ropes, shoot birds, match patterns, search items, reveal items, merge items, use items on the right target, merge numbers, shoot numbers onto other numbers to create BIGGER numbers… you’ve probably seen it all.

None comes close to the originality and simplicity of kamibox’s oddly-titled puzzle game Okay?

Okay?’s gameplay is simple: clear the board with one line.

In other words, you pull your finger down on the screen to aim the ball, and let go to shoot. And in a single shot, you must clear the board of all white shapes sequentially.

Though it appears simple, the game has a surprising amount of complexity and content. Some levels call for some experimentation on your part, so expect the levels to challenge you to think outside the box. For instance, flicking the ball to the outer bounds can reset the level or loop it back through the other side. And best of all, each level is different — and we’re talking a staggering 300 levels spread between the main and user-submitted puzzles!

The sense of pleasure you get from the game’s minimalist nature is further enhanced by the use of music as feedback. Meaning, anytime the ball hits an object, an instrument plays; white blocks play piano notes, black shapes play snare drum notes, yada yada. And when you hit all the shapes in a sequence successfully to finish a level, you’ll hear a lovely Do-Re-Mi tune play.

In addition to the aural experience, the tiny traces of tactility make the game feel relaxing. Pulling the ball back to add power plays a stretchy sound akin to a stressed elastic material. And when you aim the ball elsewhere, its line of trajectory wiggles like a paintbrush when moved! Everything is visually and functionally smooth, designed to bring that sense of “touchy-feely” satisfaction.

The hint system is the only odd element of the bunch. You get one by watching an advertisement. Yet, no great number of ads you watch will offer a hint that’s any different from what you previously got. So if you’re hoping to get a little more context on how to solve a particular level, you won’t find it.

There is also the balancing to address. Generally, hints must merely nudge you in the right direction. However, in this game, they either give the solution away immediately or unnecessarily stir up more confusion in some levels.

VERDICT: Nevertheless, Okay? is a brain-teaser brimming with the “little moments” I miss seeing in mobile games, using them to create an oddly rewarding experience that never gets old. I would readily give it a 10 out of 10. And hope that you would definitely give Okay? a go. Okay?