Swim Out (Nintendo Switch) Review

The title says it all, with the goal here being exactly that: swimming out of the pool. Being a gentleman (or... gentlewoman), though, you can't just splash around like a lunatic, especially since bumping into other people will anger the pool's lifeguard, who will put those who don't behave like civilised human beings back in line (the beginning of the level) with a sharp blow of his whistle. Oh, and by the way, this has nothing to do with your swimming skill and reflexes.

This is a turn-based affair. Every time the blue-coloured hero makes a move, the red-coloured pool-dwellers will make theirs, meaning that one needs to "predict" where everyone will end up on the grid, and avoid falling on the same spot. Needless to say, while things will start nice and easy, the challenge factor gets the expected increase as you get closer to the 100th pool. Even better? No difficulty spikes, as each stage is just a tiny bit tougher than the previous one.

Swim Out frequently introduces new mechanics, keeping the experience fresh, whether with its nice variety of different swimmers that challenge the protagonists in all sorts of ways, to the consumables that provide the means to stun or stop your "foes," gain an extra move per turn, avoid a trap, and many more. Furthermore, many of the available levels provide an additional challenge or two, although these rarely feel optional, as most will be accomplished just by trying to beat a level.

In conclusion, this is a very entertaining little puzzler, with little to no flaws besides the general lack of some extra bells and whistles, modes, or whatever, as well as the fact that there's no undo button, meaning that once a mistake is made it's back to the start of a stage - something that can be annoying when dealing with the latter half of the game. The real question, however, is simply this: why play Swim Out instead of any other of its kind?

The answer is this: if on the lookout for what won't give you a "been there, done that" feel, you are looking at the wrong place. The mechanics at hand manage to offer a title that's fun, but also one that doesn't reinvent the wheel. The minimalistic art style, though, as well as the oriental-tinged, massage parlour-esque ambient music, and very... summer-y sound effects, make this the perfect choice for those who want some 'zen' with their puzzle-solving - oh, and the price is great, too.