Game: Tic-Tac-Letters by POWGI
Genre: Puzzle, educational
System: Nintendo Switch (also on PS4)
Developer|Publisher: Lightwood Games
Age Rating:EU 3+| US E
Price: $7.99 |£6.99 |€7,99
Release Date: 3rd October 2019
Review code used, with many thanks to Lightwood Games
Let’s make sure there’s no three in a row
Tic-Tac-Letters is a logic game based on Tic-Tac-Toe, a game most of us will know. Where you strive for three in a row in Tic-Tac-Toe, here the aim is to fill each grid without creating three-in-a-row. The game play is simple, and quite easy to master.
Like other similar games, each game grid presents you with a few starter placements. Start by ensuring each line contains no more than two letters in a row. Continue checking that each row and column is filled with the same number of each letter. Finish a line by setting its unique sequence. You are rewarded for finishing each puzzle with an absolute groaner of a comment or joke by the dog, some of which actually gave me a giggle.
Settings from beginner to hard
Like other games by POWGI, Tic-Tac-Letters has a menu that is easy on the eyes and fairly simple to understand. The music while upbeat, cheerful, & fun, can become repetitive during longer puzzles. Not a problem of course, the music can be switched off and on.
There are 120 puzzles that range in complexity from beginner to hard. The game navigation is very intuitive for both the button controls, and the touch controls. There is no difficulty in pausing the game, and you should have no fear of returning to the menu as your progress isn’t lost when you do so. As a bonus, the game’s save data can be backed up to the data cloud if you are a member of Nintendo Switch Online.
Some oddity with the controls
There are some minor cons with playing Tic-Tac-Letters. Both are because the game only uses two letters for play. The first is particularly noticeable while playing the harder levels. The game provides you with a puzzle checker to ensure that the gameboard is free of errors as well as hint button if you wish to use them. When combined with the fact that the game has only two possible choices for an answer in each grid square you can see how easily you might become bored.
The other problem I found is that the game presents you with different letters for each puzzle as you proceed with play, which is not a problem save that it causes an oddity with the controls. I was mildly stressed to find that the letter A was occasionally assigned to the X button, and the letter X to the A button. Needless to say this caused a bit of a brain-bender in and of itself as one can easily press the incorrect button to place the letters X or A. This was mitigated a bit by the realization that the color assigned to the letters for Button A is always blue, and the color assigned to button X is black.
Conclusion
After a few hours of play I found the puzzles to be relaxing, and quite easy to pick up and put down. They are perfect for a quiet interlude to fill time during your busy day, or break up the monotony of a doctor’s office waiting room.
Overall I found the game a nice addition to my library, and I enjoy it.
