Developer: Hot Hand
Genre: Puzzle
Store: Steam
Reviewed version: 1.1
Censored: No
Patch Needed: No
OS: Windows, macOS, Linux
Language: English, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), Korean, Russian, Japanese
As a fan of puzzle games, I couldn’t pass up the chance of giving [b]Sweet Shine[/b] a try. Its game mechanics caught my attention, and playing it was a [i]sweet[/i] experience.
Pros
Its art is pretty
The game mechanics are original and well-implemented
Neutral
Soundtrack is nice, but it only has one track
The gameplay is solid and original, though it might feel familiar to anyone who played The Incredible Machine or Bad Rats. The game consists of drawing three lines to guide a bunch of tiny balls to the goal. Each line, however, has a length limit, so you need to be precise when drawing them. The game gets trickier as you progress. Levels get more and more complicated and also include obstacles like sticky floors or fans.
Each level also has 3 hearts scattered around that can be collected by touching them with at least one ball. Said hearts can be used to unlock different features for the H-scenes, like accessories, outfits, or the ability to set an H-scene in auto-play, allowing you to get a “hands-free” experience. Later levels also include broken hearts that’ll make you lose one of the hearts you collected in that level if you touch them, though you can always pick it up again by replaying the level.
Once you finish a level, you obtain up to three stars depending on how well you did; you get 3 stars if all the balls reached the goal, 2 if at least ⅔ of them did, and 1 if at least ⅓ of them did. Each girl has 8 different levels, and getting 11 out of 24 stars in total is enough to unlock an H-scene featuring them (you might want to get all the stars if you care about achievements, though).
The game’s art is very good. The minimalist design of the puzzles is nice and works in its favor, and the H-scenes are great. Each of the girls is beautifully drawn and animated, plus it’s a nice detail to allow the player to change some of the outfits and accessories they wear. As for the soundtrack, it’s a bit lacking since it only has a single track, but it fits the game well. It’s a relaxing tune that is nice to listen to and allows the player to focus on the puzzles.
Verdict: Fun
Sweet Shine is an enjoyable puzzle game that requires some skill and practice to master. Its solid and original game mechanics, plus its high-quality art, make this game worth giving a try.