Circuit Dude Review (Nintendo Switch)

Game: Circuit Dude
Genre: Puzzle, Strategy
System: Switch (originally on PC)
Developers | Publishers: Jonathan Holmes | Sickhead Games
Price: USD $4.99 |UK £4.49| EU € 4,99 
Age Rating: US E | EU 3+
Release Date: September 7th, 2020

Many thanks to Sickhead Games for kindly providing a review code!

Sometimes life gets really wild. You may have noticed that I’ve been active on this website very little lately, and that’s because this has been one of those times for me. One of the great things to have during periods where things are very busy and you don’t have much time to game is a title that is easy to play in short bursts, but that still helps you unwind. If you’re looking for such a title, look no further than Circuit Dude!

What is it?

<Circuit Dude>LadiesGamers.com. Character is on a busy board. There are  lot of obstacles to work around.This one will take a while!

Circuit Dude is a puzzle game created by developer Jonathan Holmes. It started out as a game for a handheld called Arduboy. After it acquired a fan base on that system, he added content and ported it to several other platforms, including Steam, Android, iOS, and now Switch. Circuit Dude is a tile based puzzler. You play by helping your character complete his invention by adding microchips to complete circuits. Don’t work yourself into a corner and get stuck! If you do, just blow your character up and start again. Complete 100 levels and you find out what you’ve been helping him build. What might that invention be? I don’t know!

Why don’t I know?

<CircuitDude>LadiesGamers.com. A blank board. There are two main sections to complete and it took me a long time to figure it out.I was stuck on this level for at LEAST a week. 

Circuit Dude is not a puzzler that I’ve found to be simple. I tend to solve several puzzles in a row, and then get stuck on one for a week or so at a time. As you progress, more obstacles are added like conveyer belts, warp tiles that send you to another part of the board, and blocks you have to manipulate onto switches so that you don’t get electrocuted. Because of this slow progression, I haven’t been able to find out what I’ve been helping to create by solving the puzzles. What I can say is that this game is FUN. It is very satisfying when you’ve been plugging away at a puzzle for days and then suddenly solve it. I look forward to completing all 120 levels, but I have a long way to go.

Graphics, Controls, and Music

<Circuit Dude>LadiesGamers.com. A screenshot with a hint for the level I was on. Circuit Dude tells you a hint it you fail enough.Fail enough an you’ll get a hint. You can turn hint off id you like, but I definitely need them!

The graphics are fairly simple, but totally charming. Every puzzle is a sort of circuit board with various obstacles. All are animated simply, in a style that totally works for the feel of the game. No complaints at all on the controls. This is wonderful for playing on the Switch Lite. Easy to see and play. The music and sound effects are my only complaint. They aren’t bad at all, but get very repetitive. I have the sound turned off most of the time while I’m playing and definitely prefer it that way.

So what makes it so great for hectic times?

<Circuit Dude>LadiesGamers.com. This shows the screen where you choose a level. Levels are released in blocks so you can jump around a little.I love that blocks of levels are released at once. That way if you get stuck, you can try other puzzles for a break.

This game is extremely good for short play periods, or times when you’re multi-tasking by listening to a podcast or audio book. This fits my life really well right now, since like many who lost a job in the recent pandemic, I decided to go back to school. This puzzler is wonderful for resetting the brain during a study break. I feel my tired grey matter perk right up again when I turn on the Switch Lite and boot up this gem. You can play as little or as long as you like, and you progress by blocks of puzzles. So if you get stuck on one, you can try a different one in the same block. Ultimately, you have to solve them all to progress to the next block, but it’s nice when you’re stuck to be able to try out the other puzzles while you wait for everything to click into place.

Extras

Circuit Guide LadiesGamers.com
Choices, choices!

Circuit Dude also includes the option to create your own levels and then let your friends try them out. I thought you had to unlock this feature, but it’s available right from the start. Just look under the orange tab on the main screen, select a level, and then select edit. When you’re done, you can let other players try your level by using your share code…but you have to beat the level yourself first to generate one! You can also download user created levels as long as you have their share codes. 

Conclusion

"<Circuit It’s a great feeling when you complete a level you were stuck on!

Circuit Dude is worth all the praise it has received. I’ve found myself a little more housebound than I’d hoped these past couple months, so instead of listening to podcasts while walking or driving, I listen and play Circuit Dude. I have enjoyed all my time spent helping him work on his invention, and I intend to spend many more hours doing the same! 

Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up!

 

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