Game: Tonetrek
Genre: Puzzle
System: Steam (Windows)
Developer | Publisher: Dark Waters Games
Controller Support: None
Price: US $2.99 | UK £2.49 | EU € 2,99
Release Date: August 1, 2025
Review code provided, with many thanks to Dark Waters Games.
Tonetrek is a simple puzzle game with fairly simple rules. Each time you walk over a space, it changes the colors of that space. You need to put the correct colors in each of the boxes, but it’s quite a bit more difficult than that.
A Simple Concept That’s Super Challenging
You play as a little robot, and as you walk across spaces, you change the color of the space. The color order is usually different, so when you walk over each one, it will change colors. You can’t backtrack, so you have to walk around a bit in order to walk over the same space more than once. Each space that is outlined in a color needs to be filled with the correct color, and each space that touches that space cannot have the same color as that space needs to have.
There are three ways to play Tonetrek: free play with no timers or move limits, or you can choose either timed levels or limited moves levels. Once chosen, you can’t switch between them, so you if you want to play more than one kind, you need to have different save files for each.
It might sound like a very simple concept, but in practice, these puzzles get extremely difficult fast. Each layout looks so easy before you start moving, then suddenly there are obstacles in the way of every box.
The Pros of Tonetrek
Tonetrek is simple, fun, and easy to learn. It’s got cute little sound effects and a funny, futuristic vibe. The puzzles are well-thought-out and pleasant, and it never gets boring. I like the space theming it has; there are stars in the background, and random objects will fly through space across it on occasion.
The game is colorful, cute, and filled with little robot friends. Overall, it’s a challenging, adorable, family-friendly affair that fans of puzzles will really love.
The Cons of Tonetrek
I like just about everything about Tonetrek. That being said, Tonetrek does have a few flaws that I want to discuss. The main one is that it does not autosave. In order to close the game from anywhere, you just need to hit escape on the keyboard twice; there is no “are you sure?” pop-up or anything to make sure you actually want to close it.
I can’t tell you the amount of progress I have lost just by accidentally closing the game when I was trying to do something else. I think an autosave feature after each level or a pop-up would save a lot of headaches for anyone playing through Tonetrek in the future.
Tonetrek also has a lot of flashing lights in between levels, and I didn’t see a way to turn it off. I’m not a fan of flashing lights, and I know they can be dangerous to some people, so I think adding a flashing lights warning or a way to turn it off would be an excellent move on the developer’s part.
I also noticed that while the sound design is great, there is no music at all. I don’t think this is a con exactly, but it was a little odd. I just missed having something to jam to, so I ended up turning on my own music. It was nice to not have repetitive music that I didn’t care for, though, so perhaps this should have been listed as a con.
The other downside was the lack of a tutorial. There is a text explanation for how to play in the main menu, but it is not immediately apparent, and Tonetrek throws you into the first puzzle without even showing you the controls. I think a pop-up with the rules or a tutorial should absolutely be added to this game to make it feel complete.
Conclusion
I think Tonetrek would get a “Two Thumbs Up!” if it adds an autosave and a tutorial pop-up. The puzzles are great, I didn’t run into any bugs, and it’s cute and a lot of fun. If you enjoy simple puzzles that are difficult, you will probably like Tonetrek a whole lot. However, I don’t feel good about giving it a perfect score when it feels a little unfinished.
Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot
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