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App Army Assemble: Umiro - A puzzler clever enough to see colour?

Or more monochromatic?

App Army Assemble: Umiro - A puzzler clever enough to see colour?
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| Umiro

You know we're a bit fond of some gorgeous-looking puzzlers here on Pocket Gamer and Umiro certainly has the looks.

In it, you'll follow school friends, Huey and Satura, as they make their way through a bizarre, colourless world. They have no idea how they got there, but with every crystal gathered and puzzle solved, they slowly gain their memories back piece-by-piece.

The biggest question, of course, is how did our App Army find it? These game enthusiasts are a force to be reckoned with, so let's have a look.

Rebecca Parsons (iPad Pro - 1st Gen)

To complete each level, you need to draw a line from the character to the crystal(s), and even without a pencil the line drawing is very accurate. Visually, the game is beautiful and minimalistic, on par with games like Monument Valley.

I found using little spirals to slow the speed of the character in places worked well, though it did kind-of feel like cheating at first, but later levels make me think it's intended. It gets difficult quickly, introducing a second character and multiple moving things to avoid.

The first achievement I earned was to die more than ten times. I'm currently halfway through chapter two of four and it's just about reached the point where it's getting too difficult for me, but there's always trial and error if you can't wrap your mind around some of the puzzles.

David Williams

Aesthetically lovely in a Monument Valley-esque way, Umiro is sure to appeal to any puzzle fans looking through screenshots on the App Store. The soundtrack is atmospheric and really adds to the overall feeling of a well-polished game. The gameplay mechanic is as simple as it gets: you draw a line from each character to collect different-coloured crystals and continue on to the exit crystal, avoiding any obstacles.

I've completed the first ten levels and, to be honest, while the difficulty ramps up fractionally, the gameplay remains the same and it's rather dull. If the game has a cheap price point it will fill a little time, but it's not a £2.99 game in my eyes which is a shame. More potential than substance.

Mark Abukoff (iPhone 7)

Umiro is a clever puzzler, reminiscent of Monument Valley, Causality, and Euclidean Lands. The music is nice and the simple graphics look good. It's very easy to control, though I wondered if it might be easier (a bit more precise) on a larger screen. The puzzles, where you are trying to get past a number of obstacles to your goals while collecting gems, range from the simple and easy to occasionally maddening. Overall, it's a pretty good game that should appeal to puzzle fans.

Paul Manchester

I feel a little bit like this is all style and no trousers. The artwork is lovely and the music suits the game, but in terms of gameplay there is very little there, to be honest. I got bored pretty quickly and lost interest in progressing much further. Definitely not as memorable as other Devolver games.

Glenn Goldberg

Umiro is a cute little path finding puzzler that rapidly evolves into something else. Simple, colourful graphics make it easy on the eyes and the soothing music helps you concentrate. The difficulty ramps up slowly and just when you think you have the hang of it, the game throws a curveball that makes you rethink how to attack the puzzles.

Paths, timing, an intriguing story that unfolds as you progress, and a little bit of luck all combine to make Umiro a pleasure to play.

Mickael Deves

In addition to making a proper itinerary, you will have to respect a perfect timing so that your characters do not encounter the deadly obstacles present in each level. It will require the precision and reflection of the player

Graphically attractive, simple to access, and ingenious, Umiro is a game that will be suitable for the whole family. However, it's a shame that it is a bit short - its forty-four levels require about two hours of play.

Jason Rosner

Umiro is a refreshing new puzzler by Devolver Digital. Graphically beautiful, the game comes together wonderfully with vivid colors creating an almost dream-like state. The touch controls have you use line-drawn patterns to move characters around to reach certain checkpoints while avoiding obstacles.

The ability to interact with your screen makes it stand out from others in the genre, and these controls result in a very accessible game for all ages. The music's the icing on the cake. It stands out at the top with the best I've heard and had me hooked, wanting more and more. It sets a rather hauntingly beautiful background to a story mainly told through wonderful watercolor-type paintings. For those looking to escape on a new adventure, I highly recommend Umiro. Enjoy!

Roman Valerio Umiro (iPad Air, iOS 11.2.6)

The English idiom "Don't judge a book by its cover" sums up rather precisely my impressions of playing this colorful puzzler. As much as I was exhilarated to check Umiro out after gazing devouringly at its trailer, I was disappointed by its dull gameplay and shallow story with a hint of a thought-provoking philosophy.

Due to a similar drawing mechanic, this game gives a strong vibe of a major App Store hit called Blek, which was all the rage back in 2013. I got an impression that the successful solution of almost every level is pretty much predicated on either sheer luck or good timing (or both).

However, there's no denying the obvious fact that the levels themselves, as well as story panels that are unlocked by means of making a progress, look absolutely stunning. Apart from a relatively pleasing-to-the-ear in-game musical score, I also appreciated a clean and uncluttered UI, which is to some extent reminiscent of Monument Valley.

I am not trying to say that this game is bad, but somehow it failed to hook me with its core mechanic, which in my opinion is the main pillar of any superior puzzler.

Slava Kozyrev

There are 5 classes for the iOS games in my rating system: Masterpiece, Great, Nice Effort, Bad, and FAJ aka "Find Another Job". Umiro falls neatly into the 3rd group. It is your "middle of the pack" game.

Good thing - in case of a failed attempt the previously drawn paths are still in place and can be easily tweaked. There is nothing revolutionary, ground-breaking, or eye-popping about the game, albeit it is quite colorful. I would not tag Umiro as a puzzler per se, rather a game where in order to succeed you need to bring the best out of your timing, synchronising, and trial-and-error skills. However, the main pre-requisite is patience.

To quote the great Russian philosopher "Every game deserves a fair chance to be completed, then objectively rated and through it all emerge in the top of the charts". Well, I've done my part, good sir. In my case it was a rollercoaster of emotions. At times the game was a maddening and masochistic grind. Sometimes I was lucky enough to get to the end of the level in a brisk manner and had my share of exultation. I must admit Umiro grows to be extremely repetitive.

Chanandler (iPad Air 2)

How many variations of 'draw a line from here to here' games are there going to be? I tried to like it, but there was nothing here that really gripped me. It's not a bad game, just another example of a very tired genre.

Chris Nelson

Whilst the game looks great, with some really neat waterfall effects, sadly I felt like it was retreading old ground and doing it in a particularly frustrating way. Having to redraw your path until all the obstacles are avoided isn’t really my idea of fun.

Admittedly, I am only a few levels in so have not experienced the more advanced mechanics. However, it's not resonating with me so I'm not sure I will persevere despite the eye-pleasing aesthetics.

Steve Clarke

Umiro's almost identical to Monument Valley in look and sound, and while that's no bad thing it's nothing new either. There's slightly too long a pause when you hit a hazard and restart which is a constant frustration in a game where small errors in timing are punished.

If you're a fan of the 'experience' playing Monument Valley games you'll probably like this, but personally I found more style than substance here.

Quincy Jones (iPhone 8 Plus)

“Are we there yet?”

Umiro never really held my attention for long and that's a shame because I liked the look of it. The 'draw and draw some more' mechanics weren't doing it for me, and puzzles themselves fizzled out for me quickly.

It's not my cup, but I'm sure others may find it fun.

Oksana Ryan (iPad Pro)

This is a good puzzler, but for me I had to play it in short bursts. There is nothing wrong with the game as such - it's pretty to look at and the mechanics are easy to use. But, on occasion, trying to move two characters to their separate destinations at the same time, while avoiding the obstacles in their path, was frustrating.

I enjoy a challenge, but as the game progressed and after many attempts at the more difficult levels, when I eventually created the right path I didn't feel like repeating the process and had to go back later to continue. It's an ideal game to pick up and play when you've five minutes to spare and you want a bit more than a 'bubble bust' game has to offer.

Dries Pretorius (iPad Air)

There are a great many puzzle games on the App Store, the saturated environment sees games distinguish themselves in three categories: innovation, aesthetic, and longevity.

Mechanically: Umiro is similar to Blek - you initiate a pattern of motion and hope it gets from point A to point B around increasingly tricky obstacles. Longevity: the game is short, around two hours long with little to come back to after completion. Aesthetics: the game's strong point is the art style and music, and it really shines on both fronts.

A friend of mine once pointed out that I'm a game snob, that paying the price of a cup of coffee for a game is worth that level of enjoyment. Umiro is a short ride, sweet and not offensive to the senses, it is not original or long, but that's not a requirement for everyone. If you enjoyed Blek give it a whirl.

Emily Sowden
Emily Sowden
Emily is Pocket Gamer's News Editor and writes about all kinds of game-related things. She needs coffee to function and begrudgingly loves her Switch more than she lets on.