Motif LadiesGamers

Motif Review

Game: Motif
Genre: Puzzle, Lifestyle
System: Nintendo Switch (also on iOS)
Developers | Publishers: YeTa Games
Age Rating: US E | EU 3+
Price: US $2.99 | UK £2.69 | EU € 2,99
Release Date: June 3rd, 2021

Review code used, with many thanks to YeTa Games

Motif is a minimalistic puzzle game that aims to bring artistic elements to the foreground. Brought to us by husband and wife team YeTa Games. Motif has already been released on iOS it has now made its way to the Nintendo Switch.

Motif LadiesGamers
Use your finger and match the shape.

Minimalistic Puzzle

On first appearances, there is no denying that Motif is a minimalistic puzzle game. As the pictures show there isn’t much to it, a black background with a white puzzle in the middle and that it. Nothing wrong with that, as the saying goes sometimes less is more. After all, this is a puzzle game, not like you need all singing and dancing appearances to make a good puzzle game.

Years ago when I was a child (a long time ago) there was this very popular toy called a Kaleidoscope. For those that don’t know what that is, I’ll try and explain it. A Kaleidoscope is tube-shaped and has coloured glass, tinsel, beads fragments and mirrors in one end of it. When you look through the hole the glass on the one end and twist the other end of the Kaleidoscope the mirrors and light reflect images of these fragments and make colourful patterns. Motif, reminds me of a Kaleidoscope, obviously without the colour since the game is black and white.

Motif LadiesGamers
Balck and white puzzles

Black and White

The idea with Motif is you are shown a shape and you have to make exactly the same shape in the middle of the screen where you can see the dotted line. Your puzzle has to match the smaller puzzle shown on the left of the screen.

You do this by moving one, two or three puzzle pieces from the right of the screen, line them up, move them around until all pieces fit together to match, upon completion the next puzzle is unlocked. There are joy-stick and touchscreen controls for Motif. I found it was easier to use the touchscreen than the stick and buttons. The joy-stick controls feel a little floaty. Using the touchscreen I could be more precise on where I wanted pieces to be placed.

Motif LadiesGamers
Not quite right

Lots of Puzzles

Motif consists of 200 plus puzzles. It is one of those coffee table games, a game to dip in and out of when you’re having a cup of coffee with your feet up. The puzzles offer just the right amount of challenge. If you do get stuck there aren’t any hints so you are on your own.

Motif LadiesGamers
One-piece puzzle

Notes of the Piano kind

There isn’t any constant music playing in the background while you solve the puzzle. Instead, the developers have made a decision to go a slightly different route to a soundtrack, as I would imagine it is less expensive. Each time you touch a puzzle piece to place it, a piano note rings out.

Now, I love piano music, by that I mean a piece of flowing music, proper music. But hearing one single note when I touch a puzzle piece and then silence gets repetitive very quickly. There are times when you will hear a few notes played and it sounds great, but there isn’t enough of those times.

Motif LadiesGamers
Three-piece puzzle

Conclusion

Motif is pretty reasonably priced in the eShop, though the game is cheaper on the Apple App Store. I guess it depends on what size of screen you want to play on. The game is perfectly suited to the smaller screen of the Switch. As it is Motif is an acceptable puzzle game for a few hours of puzzling.

Final Verdict: I Like It  I like it

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