Green review - "It's all about the green"

Given that the colour green is already relaxing as it is, it’s no wonder Bart Bonte’s Green evokes the same feelings with every new level. Inventive, minimalist, and sometimes downright perplexing, the game tasks you with eliminating everything that’s not green in 50 levels.

The goal of the game is simple - do everything you can to make a literal green screen. Each level will present an entirely different logic puzzle for you to solve, from moving white objects out of the screen to poking non-green elements with cactus thorns to keep them out of the equation. What makes the puzzle game so invigorating (aside from the colour) is that every level is unique, and you’ll have to spend the first few minutes of each new puzzle trying to figure out what you can and should do.

For instance, you may need to hold down on objects to enlarge them, or tap certain things to move them along. You might need to drag and drop items in certain places, or you may even have to use your powers of memorisation to find pairs or follow patterns. Most of the time, the number of the level is an element of the puzzle itself, and it’s exhilarating trying to find out just how you can make all the variety work.

You can sometimes get by with some good ol’ trial-and-error, while other times, you simply have to trust your gut. It’s a bold and innovative approach to mobile puzzles, and I believe the dev’s risks definitely paid off.

From Bart Bonte’s masterful list of mobile games, I’ve only ever played Words for a bird - and doing so made me want to pick up the rest of his puzzling titles. His minimalist approach presents clean and aesthetically pleasing art with each new level, so much so that I often find myself just admiring the puzzle design and artistic elements first before I even try to solve it.

A veteran puzzle aficionado may be able to breeze through all 50 levels in one sitting, but I honestly think the game isn’t meant to be played in a single go if you don’t want to experience puzzle fatigue. Each level is challenging and satisfying enough to make you want to keep going (completing a level rewards you with an inspiring little vocal chime), but I still think it’s best to take the game in parts. After all, the bite-sized nature of the puzzles is perfect for quick breaks, and you definitely wouldn’t want to overwork your mind (and eyes) trying to solve all 50 at once.

I personally also appreciated the chill background score that hums along softly as you solve your way through the levels. The relaxing ambient music adds to the feel-good vibe of the game so that it’s never too frustrating - and if you do get stuck, you can always tap the Hint button to get a clue after watching an ad.

The brilliantly crafted conundrums are sure to satisfy you as the credits roll, especially since the puzzles are just so incredibly inventive - you’ll definitely feel proud of yourself (and your brilliant brain) long after you’re done.

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Green