Tiles (PC) Review

Tiles has players moving one tile across other tiles, reaching a red tile to complete the level. Now, that doesn't sound incredibly interesting, until it is learned that different tiles are different colours. Each of these colours behaves inherently differently. Blue tiles disappear once stepped on, while orange tiles disappear every second or so. Tiles is a game all about quickly adapting to new situations, and it's brilliant.

The controls work remarkably well, and you may have heard the phrase, "If you fail, it's your fault." Well, in Tiles, failure is your fault. The fluidity of movement is incredible, and it needs to be. Navigating each of the mazes is wickedly difficult, though remarkably satisfying. It sounds cliché, but the simple premise Tiles gives is both addicting and mentally satisfying.

Those looking for something of a graphical juggernaut are going to be sorely disappointed. Here, you get a black background and different coloured squares. It could use being dressed up a little bit more, but in general it does the job fine. The soundtrack, though, is incredibly fun, like a Super Mario techno beat. It complements the "world," which feels almost like a rudimentary computer, and at that point, the whole experience seems to come together.

Tiles might be a tough sale for your friends, which is why the local competitive multiplayer is so exciting. Unfortunately, it uses the same boards the single-player does, so whoever has been playing the game longer will clearly have an advantage. While the multiplayer might be an enticing prospect, the fact that the boards are the same really means you get to be a jerk to a friend who has never played the game.