Published by Sometimes You and created by the same developer as Catty & Batty: The Spirit Guide, Turn to Mine is an unexpectantly interesting, entertaining, and different type of puzzle game.
Do not underestimate this game based on screenshots or even its gameplay trailer. The visuals are not impressive, but they do not need to be. Even the cover art, featuring a sunglasses wearing dude bro and some chick, can seem a little generic and cheap. However, the gameplay is much smarter than its misleading presentation.
Gameplay is hard to describe because there really isn’t anything else quite like it. Playing as a rookie space miner, all gameplay essentially takes place on an Excel-like grid. It is your job to directly control or guide a mining icon to all the materials on each single-screened puzzle, avoiding hazards, mines, and enemies along the way. This might sound simple on paper, but each stage’s design is creatively thoughtful and a handful will surely tease the brain more than others.
Again, explaining the gameplay is not only difficult, but it would also spoil the experience. But as a quick summary and without revealing too much, miners can be guided directly or indirectly depending on the stage and its objectives. Selecting the miner with one button, then tapping a tile with another button will cause it to move to that destination. Other times, tiles must be placed around each miner to guide its randomly walking path. The pacing is also great because every few stages a new element gets introduced, like having the ability to fill a hole or use shields to your advantage. This might not sound exciting from this description, but I wound up enjoying this two-hour puzzle game way more than I ever thought.
Other than the overly simple presentation, the plot is ridiculous, unnecessary, and actually gets in the way. You see that dude bro and lady in the promo art? They stupidly talk to each other between stages to generate cohesion of why the player is guiding a symbol on a grid. Instead of these two fictional characters talking in dialog, I would have preferred a simple tutorial-like text box to provide detail on how to play. At times, I was left struggling on what the game wanted me to do as there is little guidance for such a unique puzzler. At the same time, the struggle is what made this puzzle game enjoyable. Each stage’s design is very specifically crafted in a way to lead the player. With some trial and error, solving each puzzle, especially the later stages, was incredibly satisfying. There are only 30 stages, but each one is different which creates a perfect sense of pacing.
One tip that I wish the game explained is knowing that the miner has the ability to change direction after a path has been set. After having a tough time with one of the later levels, I was about to rage quit when I realized the shoulder buttons can slow down time. The game never explains why you need this, which made me realize that I was probably missing something. By slowing down time, the player can redirect the path of a moving miner by clicking on another tile, essentially guiding it exactly as desired instead of one big movement. So play around with the timing and click on a new destination tile as the miner is moving – this is a game changer.
Turn to Mine is a perfect example of not judging a book by its cover. I fear the game’s banner art, screenshots, and even gameplay trailer will make players gloss right over it. But I am here to firmly tell you not to do that. This is a unique puzzler that is oddly satisfying. It might be wrapped around some needless plot elements, but the gameplay is unexpectantly captivating.
Also Play: Alveole
Don’t Forget About: the Active Neuron games
Wait For It: an Awesome Pea bundled compilation
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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RATING
OUR RATING - 8
8
SCORE
A quality puzzle game that shouldn’t be judged by its cover art or gameplay screenshots.
Editor in Chief - been writing for mygamer,com for 20+ years. Gaming enthusiast. Hater of pants. Publisher of obscure gaming content on my YT channel.
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