Bytten

Dweep Gold is a classic puzzle game from the masters of the independent game, Dexterity Software. The pleasant surprise is that it is not a case of pushing sliding blocks or rocks as in most turn based puzzle games.

The aim is the guide the furry purple Dweep to the childlike Dweeplings (or something like that). Lasers, bombs or other obstacles can block the way, so a path must be cleared by the careful placement of objects. Laser beams can be diverted with mirrors for example, and the wrench can rotate mirrors or the laser turrets themselves one way or the other.

The controls are simple to use and the game is generally easy to get to grips with. Dweep hops rather slowly when moving, but you can hold Shift to speed him up. Objects can be placed anywhere on the map, which confused me a little at first because I expected to place them near to Dweep, but I soon got the hang of it and the semi-transparent effect of objects as placed made the whole operation simple to understand.

There are a few sound effects and all are perfect for the game. Dweep squeaks when he moves, in exactly the way that one would expect a furry purple thing to do! There is a nice electric-fry sound when Dweep steps into those pesky laser beams and good soggy sounds when Dweep is wet. The MIDI music is pleasant but can sometimes sound a little out of date. Music and sound effects can be independently turned on or off.

The 2D graphics are bright and clear, and it is easy to identify what icons are. The font is easy to read, and generally there are no faults with the graphics although there are very few fancy graphical effects which is one the few indicators of the age of the game. I did find it hard to distinguish between the two angles of the mirrors, and the two turn directions of the wrench. The angled overhead view of the game looks more attractive than a directly overhead view, but the latter would have been easier to play.

The gameplay is as thought provoking as any other puzzle game. Some of the levels are tricky, and there are no walk-through solutions, but the difficulty curve is just about right. The game features lots of levels and the ability to create your own so there is enough depth here to sustain interest for many hours, if your attention span lasts that long.

The download is small, the install was painless, the game survives Alt-Tab, it starts and quits quickly, has instructions, works on a low-spec PC and includes all of the options you reasonably need in one mouse driven menu.

It's hard to point out any major flaws with the game. It is easy to see why a game with very few flashy effects and simple gameplay is so successful. The puzzle genre won't appeal to everyone, but if it does then Dweep Gold will too.

Keywords: dweep gold review, dexterity software reviews, dexterity software games, dweep gold scores, pc game reviews, indie game reviews, independent gaming.