Hatch-It for iOS Review - Nintendo Love Affair

An Ohio developer's first title, egg-cellently done.

Gameplay

Hatch-It, by Multivarious Games, is a swiping puzzle adventure in which players explore five differently themed lands.  The player’s character is an adorable robot who was created by Dr. Tyrannosaurus in order to travel back in time and save the dinosaurs from a comet induced destruction.  This is no small task for the brave little robot who must successfully hatch dinosaur eggs in order for them to be collected.

Players must navigate the search and rescue robot around the screen with swiping motions.  When the robot comes in contact with an egg, it hatches.  Be careful though, because if you come into contact with a hatched egg, you will bruise the baby dinosaur and lose points.  When moving the robot in Hatch-It, the character will not stop until it comes into contact with something.  This means that the rescue robot could get pinned in a corner or sent careening right off of a cliff if the player does not make their move wisely.  As you play through the 70 levels Hatch-It provides, hatched dinosaurs have unique attributes that may affect gameplay.   Each of the five lands in Hatch-It represent a different historic era with their own set of dinosaur types and obstacles.

The title is free to play if you don’t mind watching advertisement videos after every couple of levels.  99 cents on the App store will get you an ad free experience.  When asked about pay walls and other “freemium” titles in the genre Chris replied, “We wanted players to feel like they got a good value for what they paid, and at the same time never feel like they were stuck behind a paywall to beat the game.  As long as you understand some of the mechanics of the game and put in the time to solve the puzzle, there is nothing to stop you from beating it without making purchases.”

The Good

70 well designed and enjoyable puzzles 

Players don’t need to spend a cent to enjoy and beat the game

Quick puzzles makes this perfect for quick pick up and play experiences 

First title from Multivarious Games, a company with a lot of promise

The Bad

Static levels, obstacles and simple animations leave the game feeling a bit lifeless at times

Final Thoughts

While the puzzle genre on iOS is certainly filled with its share of titles, Hatch-It holds its own as a fun puzzle game with a great spirit and unique style.  The price is right for Hatch-It at only 99 cents for an ad free experience.  With yearly titles planned on multiple platforms, you can bet that Multivarious Games is going to become a common name in the indie game world.  Download Hatch-It today.

Mark Ball is the editor for Nintendo Love Affair.  He also spends his days teaching and adventuring while refusing to lose his childlike sense of wonder.