Clarc is a clever puzzler that fits snugly onto mobile.
It's the sort of good-looking game that gets people watching over your shoulder, pointing out solutions that you might not have spotted on your own.
There's a good-humoured charm that runs through the experience that makes it hard to dislike.
And its tale of robot workers, supercomputers, invading spaceships, and anthropomorphic nuclear weapons is an endearing one.
It can get a little repetitive, sure, and some of the levels strike similar chords. In among those moments of repetition, though, there are some genuinely great ideas.
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You can't tell in this screenshot, but these robots are dancing
Chief among them are the controls. A D-pad in the bottom left of the screen lets you move little robot hero Clarc about, while a slider in the bottom right changes the direction in which he's facing.
In the middle of the slider, there's a button. This enables you to interact with objects around the world. Some, you'll talk to. Some, you'll pick up.
Most of the puzzles you'll encounter involve shifting crates around to push switches. Sometimes, you'll use them as shields. Sometimes, you'll use them to divert laser beams. Other times, you'll be shifting them to protect other robots.
The corridors you're working through get quite close. Often, then, you'll drop the box, shimmy around the scenery, and pick the cube up again from a different angle.
Later in the game, there are mobile tanks that stalk you. Things can get a little fraught and frustrating, especially when you can't quite see them and they shoot you before you even know what's happening.
I hate this tank more than I hate any other tank in the world
You'll find yourself sticking with Clarc, though, mainly because it's so well put together. Just moving through the world feels innovative and fresh, and the way the game uses its environment to funnel you through is a joy to behold.
Plus, it has drunk robots in it. This makes any game immeasurably better.
Clarc has its problems, and it's sometimes more frustrating than fun. More often than not, though, the great design and well-built world are more than enough to pull you through.
Clarc
A clever puzzler that's full of spirit, Clarc has its patches of trouble, but it's well worth sticking with
Harry Slater
Harry used to be really good at Snake on the Nokia 5110. Apparently though, digital snake wrangling isn't a proper job, so now he writes words about games instead.