To be honest, there isn't a huge number of variations that can be made on simple, groundbreaking games like
Tetris and
Bejeweled, so it's important for subtle reworkings to make the most of a platform's features - and that's clearly an approach
Colorix makes.
A steady stream of spheres (in columns of three) roll down the screen. Your task is to eliminate them as they hit the bottom by aligning matching trios of the same colour (
Bejeweled style).
Tapping the balls as they fall rotates their order - moving the bottom one to the top, the top one to the middle, and the middle one to the bottom. This allows you to position the spheres so they'll make a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line of three when they come to a stop.
Swiping across the screen shifts the column of falling orbs left and right, giving you a brief window of opportunity to position them alongside matching balls. Naturally, the rate at which they fall increases as the game progresses, and it takes a quick finger to keep up as the jumbled mass of spheres piles up.
It's quite a sedate experience, which appears to be intentional given the steady pace of play. This could mean that gamers who like their entertainment action packed won't be immediately drawn to
Colorix’s charms, but the casual puzzle fan will take to it immediately.
Easily its most outstanding feature is the vivid, tangible ray-traced graphics. The spheres rolling down the screen are eye-wateringly detailed. Perfectly understated reflections and refractions make these orbs appear as though they’re actually small marbles rolling across the surface of the handset.
A bit of animation when you shuffle the order of the balls would help to sustain the illusion, however, while making it easier to keep track of your movements. As it is they jump somewhat abruptly from one point to the next.
Still, the crystal clear differences between the spheres are vital, as it ensures you're never confused about making a match. Ultimately this all combines to make
Colorix immediately playable and entertainingly casual - though whether it’ll be able to stay afloat in the sea of
Tetris and
Bejeweled clones remains to be seen.
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