by Laura Magureanu

Created on: June 05, 2010   Last Updated: January 30, 2011

Have you played Zuma? What about Luxor? If you are a fan of casual games, be sure not to miss Mystic Flower!

Remembering of the days when casual games were straightforward and addictive, Mystic Flower is a true deliverer. Combining elements of arcade style and memory games, this new casual game guarantees hours of fun. While designed by an indie game developer,

BlueCat Games, the game truly has any casual game should have: an easy learning curve, challenge, playability, and a player friendly gameplay.

Gameplay:

Once you enter your personal profile (up to eight different profiles are allowed), and start a new game, you will be taken to the first level. While the first stages are meant for the player to get comfortable with the game, you will soon understand why Mystic Flower can be quite challenging.

On your main screen, different flowers will appear, and you will need to click on them, but only if they match the flowers that appear on the row situated at the bottom of the screen. Completing the first rows of flowers is easy, and soon, you will get a hang of it.

However, this game does not subscribe to the memory genre for no reason. If you make a mistake and click on a flower that has no match on the bottom row, this will make your ‘misses’ indicator to increase by one. Despite the forgiving gameplay, you will still need to keep your eyes on your mistakes, as exceeding the allowed number of misses will make you lose the level.

While completing rows, you will be rewarded with points, that will accumulate, helping you progress during each stage. Once you gather a certain number of points, the level is won, and you are taken to the next one.

Even if the game is easy, and its arcade value is high, you may find some stages to be particularly challenging. Now, here is the nice catch: just when you think your chances of winning the level are seriously diminished, a so called ‘mystic flower’ will appear and help you.

Mystic flowers appear as you complete rows of flowers. Some grant you more mistakes, others can freeze time, or give you extra points. You will never know which mystic flower will be next, but they are always a nice surprise when making their appearance.

Graphics:

Overall, the Mystic Flower game has nice graphics, and the different flowers you will play with are distinctive, so you can remember them easily. You will get to play on five different canvases, as well, so the game never gets boring. The design is common to casual games, with vivid colors and game items that are jumping off the screen.

Sound:

The sounds used in the game add to the fun factor. The music is nice, easygoing and rhythmic. When clicking each flower, you will hear a popping sound, so you can easily tell you picked up the flower.

Conclusion:

If you are looking for a casual game to play for hours, Mystic Flower is a recommended title. It is fun, rewarding, and, more than anything, challenging and addictive!

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