This week, Pocket Gamer's App Army tackled the puzzle adventure, A Fragile Mind, from Glitch Games. The game, a twist on the classic escape room formula with added humor, received mixed reviews. While some lauded its challenging yet engaging puzzles and witty writing, others criticized its presentation.
Here's a summary of App Army members' feedback:
Swapnil Jadhav: Initially skeptical due to the game's seemingly outdated logo, Jadhav found the gameplay surprisingly unique and captivating. The challenging puzzles were highly engaging, making it, in his opinion, one of the best puzzle games available. He recommended playing it on a tablet for an optimal experience.
Max Williams: Williams described A Fragile Mind as a point-and-click puzzle adventure with static pre-rendered graphics. He found the narrative unclear, but appreciated the game's unique structure where puzzles could be solved across multiple levels, and some were even dependent on items acquired later. He noted the helpful, albeit potentially over-generous, hint system. While he found the navigation slightly confusing at times, he considered it a strong example of the genre.
Robert Maines: Maines highlighted the first-person perspective and photo-taking mechanic as key elements. He found the puzzles challenging, requiring occasional use of a walkthrough. While acknowledging the graphics and sound weren't exceptional, he deemed them adequate. He noted the game's relatively short playtime and limited replayability.
Torbjörn Kämblad: A seasoned escape-room puzzle game enthusiast, Kämblad found A Fragile Mind to be underwhelming. He criticized the muddy presentation, hindering puzzle identification, and an inconveniently placed menu button. The abundance of puzzles early on led to disorientation and frequent reliance on the hint system.
Mark Abukoff: Typically not a fan of the genre due to perceived difficulty and low reward, Abukoff enjoyed A Fragile Mind. He praised the visual and audio options, along with the intriguing puzzles and well-designed hint system. He considered it a worthwhile experience despite its short length.
Diane Close: Close used a captivating anecdote to illustrate the game's complex puzzle structure, emphasizing the simultaneous solving of multiple interwoven puzzles. She appreciated the abundance of customization options and found the game enjoyable, even for experienced puzzle players. The game's humor was also a highlight.
About the App Army:
The App Army is Pocket Gamer's community of mobile gaming experts. They regularly provide reviews and feedback on new games. To join, visit the Pocket Gamer Discord or Facebook Group and answer the membership questions.
