Game: HIX: Puzzle Islands
Genre: Puzzle
System: Nintendo Switch (also iOS & Android)
Developers | Publishers: GAMEDIA
Age Rating: US E | EU 3+
Price: US $7.90 | UK £6.99 | EU € 6,99
Release Date: September 2nd, 2021
Review code used, with many thanks to GAMEDIA
HIX: Puzzle Islands is a fairly successful mobile game when it was originally released. Now HIX: Puzzle Islands has been ported over to the Nintendo Switch.
Hix and Dix
In HIX: Puzzle Islands there are two brothers Hix and Dix. Hix being the godlike one and Dix being the angry devil one, they are the characters in the little story to accompany HIX: Puzzle Islands. The devilish brother DIX is messing up the hex-shaped islands and it is up to you to help Hix fix the islands back to their original shape so the traffic can flow smoothly.
Fix the Islands
Across the 180 levels with varying difficulty, you have to move the little hex tiles back to their original spot. On each island you will find one or in later levels two starting points such as houses, windmills, or a lake.
Scattered on the island hex tiles are sections of roads, and rivers and more and you have to connect all the island pieces around so that the roads connect the starting point to the endpoint. Then you will see the islands spring back to life!
Swap the Tiles
Of course, HIX: Puzzle Islands starts off easy with just one path. The harder levels will have two or three paths, all crisscrossing. What makes it such a relaxing game to play is the absents of time limits or a moves counter.
Leaving you to go at your own pace and take as long as you need to solve the puzzle. If you get stuck on a puzzle there are unlimited hints to help you out. When a hint is used, two tiles will jiggle on the board indicating which two to swap.
Simplistic Puzzling
It is a pretty simplistic puzzle, both in design and the way you play it. That’s not a criticism though as the game is perfect for a quick play. It would also be a great starter puzzle game for young children. While the story about the bad brother Dix messing up the islands and the good brother HIX resorting islands is silly and isn’t particularly needed, it adds a bit of fun to the gameplay. A young child playing the game would probably love the story and the puzzles.
Visuals and Controls
Everything is bright and vibrant on the islands. The little houses and trees can be removed with the click of a button if they interfere with solving the puzzle. I like the extra touches of the scenery on the islands.
The 180 levels are spread over 6 differently themed worlds, so every 30 puzzles the islands’ environments change and the puzzle elements stay the same.
Controls work as they should, even the touchscreen controls work smoothly. The music to accompany your puzzling gets a little repetitive to the ears after a while. A simple solution to that was to turn the sound down.
Conclusion
HIX: Puzzle Islands is joining an already substantial catalogue of puzzle games on the Nintendo Switch, it could sink without trace. But if you have a few pounds/dollars spare and want a puzzle game that isn’t overly challenging but also enjoyable, then pick up HIX: Puzzle Islands while you’re having your cup of coffee in the morning.
Final Verdict: I Like It 
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