Game Info: Link-a-Pix Deluxe

Developed by: Powgi

Published by: Lightwood Games

Released: January 2, 2020

Available on: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PS Vita

Number of Players: Single player

Genre: Puzzle game

ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

Price: $7.99 Thank you, Lightwood Games, for sending us this game to review! Link-a-Pix Deluxe is a title bursting with clue-linking puzzles in which every grid has a picture hidden inside. The objective is to reveal the picture by painting paths to link the clues. Connect the pair of clues that have the same number and color. These numbers show the number of grid squares that will be filled in with that color in order to reach the other number, or the length of the connection. The only clues that don’t need linking are 1s, which represent squares that are only one grid square long. These are automatically filled in when the game begins. Draw lines and connect clues using the touch screen and double-tap to remove a line. You can use the stick to explore the puzzle and X to zoom. If you’re like me, however, preferring not to use the touch screen, you can press A to start using button controls and use the stick to move the cursor. Hold a while doing so to create a line, and press A to remove one.

Highlights: Strong Points: Interesting and enjoyable; challenging; DLC available

Weak Points: Music is repetitive and the same as previous Powgi creations; frustrating at times; not mutiplayer

Moral Warnings: None The difficulty comes in, however, when the fact is noted that there is only one way to link each pair correctly. Several methods are possible, but only one way is correct. How do you tell if a method is incorrect? Well, you must make sure it is possible for all of the pairs around it to be linked. Players are required to be creative enough to find new ways to link those two fives, or those two sixteens, without interfering with the connection between those nearby eights. Link-a-Pix puzzles are always larger than the screen, even in the smallest puzzle sizes, so it is important to scroll around to find all of the clues and reveal the full picture. There are several different puzzle sizes to choose from, each measured by the number of grid squares horizontally and vertically. It comes with five 10x15 puzzles, ten 15x23 puzzles, fifteen 20x30 puzzles, fifteen 30x45 puzzles, fifteen 40x60 puzzles, fifty 50x75 puzzles, and ten 100x65 puzzles. That adds up to one-hundred-twenty puzzles included with the game. Downloadable content is available on Nintendo eShop if you need more puzzles.