Forum Overview :: What Are You Playing Right Now?
 
If you play Android games, which do you like? Let me tell you about Flow Water. by Commander Tansin A. Darcos 09/28/2022, 2:48pm PDT
From various tries, I've discovered my favorite ones are puzzle games. I've mentioned Color Water Sort in another thread, where you have vials of different color water, and having only two empties, make all of them a single color. Cube games where you try to release blocks from a three-dimensional figure.

But the one that has fascinated me is Flow Water. Before I start, let me make it clear that I have not received any payment from the game's developer or publisher.

In Flow Water, you are working on a 5x5 grid, trying to get one or more streams of water to flow to one or more fountains. There are always the same number, or more, of fountains vs. streams. The stream comes out of a block either 1 or 2 levels higher than the current flow. You move blocks containing various water diverting channels, splitters, and sometimes specials: permanent blocks on that level, where one of them accepts water in, and diverts it to a different exit. You can rotate the board clockwise or counter-clockwise, to see where the stream is going. The level is complete when all fountains are shooting up water.

Sometimes there are multiple streams, and multiple fountains, where each stream has a different color. The fountain will only operate when the correct color water is piped to it. While some levels are frustrating, they are all solvable. The game even has a solution button, which allows you to get the solution to that puzzle. But you have a limited number of solutions, if you run out and can't figure out the solution, you're stuck.

There is no way to "lose" when playing a level. You can move blocks an unlimited number of times, with no time limit. The level continues until you find a solution.This then moves tto, and unlocks, the next level.

The game is free to start, ad supported, and is available on the Google Play Store for Android. For free, you get 30 puzzles in the classic set, in Basic, Easy, and hard, each, all different. So you get to play a generous 90 puzzles for free in this game. In the paid part of the game, you can unlock 20 more levels on basic, easy and hard, for a total of 50 in each, as well unlocking the Pools, Springs, and Mech sets, each having Basic, Easy, and Hard, but also unlocking three more difficult scenarios: Master, Genius, and Maniac, each with 50 more puzzles.

Each set can be unlocked for a small fee, usually $1.49. A couple of more sophisticated sets are $2.49, and everything (except more solutions) can be unlocked for $6.49. All of these remove ads, (or you can remove ads only for $1.49) as well. Actually, since unlocking any one of the Classic, Pools, Springs, or Mech packs for $1.49 each, also removes ads, so if you just want to get rid of ads, you might as well buy one of those packs, because it gives you ad removal free.

I am a messy cheapskate. I did something I never do with Android games. I purchased the "Unlock all packs" option for $6.49. This game intrigued, and moved me, so much that it moved me to reach for my wallet. I am usually very stingy when it comes to playing games, except this one was so much fun and so challenging that I ran through all of the free levels and wanted more. Yeah, yeah, I know, typical "Stockholm Syndrome," behavior, where the victim (me) feels empathy for their torturer (the game.) But, dammit, I'm having way too much fun!

Now for the recurring revenue stream. Completely optional, you don't have to buy it. Maybe. Extra solutions. When you run out of the solutions the game gives you - and you will run out - the game has been very challenging for me at times, enough that on occasion I looked at the solution; usually it amazed me for the sheer ingenuity involved. After you use up the free solutions they give you, whether or not you unlock more levels, you can purchase more solutions as 15 more for $1.49, 30 more for $1.99. I only bought the set of 15. When playing, I remind myself that no matter what I think, every level is solvable. Since it's a game involving water, part of me wants to say, that "every level is soluble." Okay, no more puns. They gave to be; each level in each difficulty - numbered 2 through 50, are locked until you solve the previous one. When I get frustrated enough to want to see the solution, I remind myself I'm wasting 10c every time I do that. I want to save them for the seriously hard puzzles.

Five out of Five stars.

I recommend this game highly, but, I give you warning: don't try this game unless you're willing to cough up $6.49, because it is addictive, and probably more fun than is allowed by law. But, realize, you're getting all 1,200 total levels for that price.

So anyway, the game is called Flow Water, and that is "What I'm Playing Right Now."

From Arlington, Virginia, I'm Tansin A. Darcos, and "I approved this message."


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If you play Android games, which do you like? Let me tell you about Flow Water. by Commander Tansin A. Darcos 09/28/2022, 2:48pm PDT NEW
 
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