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It’s tremendously difficult not to pull up comparisons to similar games when looking at ‘Cryptex of Time.’  If you only glance at Cryptex of Time, then it’s easy enough to argue that it takes a lot from other jewel-based puzzle games. Whether it be Bejewelled, Jewel Quest, or even the classic; Columns (Mega Drive) the easy choice is to consider Cryptex of Time as a simple clone. Sadly, if you indeed do undertake that view, you’ll be sorely mistaken; and therefore be missing out on one of the most addictive games as of late. Do not be mistaken, it does have its similarities with other games, but what it takes, it refines and makes better.

 

Criticism aside, the game does rack the difficulty upwards, resulting in a slow and patient approach to the puzzles. The conundrums consist of multiple cogs staked on one another, which consist of different coloured jewels or pictured blocks. By rotating the cogs in a circular manner, you’ll match up 3 or more jewels of the same colour and therefore make them disappear. It’s not exactly a new concept and anyone familiar with the games mentioned above will pick it up easily. The spherical 3D element adds a slight twist, and you’ll often find yourself clearing gems you can’t even see. There are the customary powerups, (in the form of special coloured gems) which can remove whole lines (vertically) or explode to remove a large area. 

 

There are 48 puzzles on offer, spread across 12 game modes and they range from the simple; clear a certain amount of jewels, to the difficult; clear a certain number with a set amount of allowed rotations. There are 4 distinct worlds and each of their puzzles has a distinctive look. There’s plenty of diversity on offer, welcoming in puzzle veterans and new players alike. The game is bright and colourful with nice little effects. The mellow soundtrack plays in the background, and lacks any sense of annoying drone. It adds to the game, and you’ll find yourself humming along. The art and audio has obviously had a decent amount of care and attention, but at $19.99 you’d expect that it would. It's a decent visual package, and has a unique style that delights.

The game has ‘the addiction factor’ and you’ll find yourself hitting retry as you try and clear the levels. For twenty bucks it’s a decent game that’ll keep you entertained start to finish. It is worth noting that the developer, Andreas Jirenius, created everything from scratch, solo. Once you take that into consideration, the score justifies the means.

Score: 8/10

Head over to the official site for an hour’s downloadable trial or to purchase the game.

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