Neo Angle is a Beautiful Retro Puzzle Experience
Neo Angle ($0.99) by Dropout Games is a puzzle game that is full of retro goodness. If you grew up in the ‘80s, then this game will feel right at home for you. It’s from the same guys behind other great puzzle games like Blyss and UNWYND. It’s similar to other titles like Resynth and Linelight.
I get stressed out pretty easily, but I’ve always found peace and solace with video games — they’re my ultimate de-stressor. And while I love a large variety of video games, the best genre to help me unwind after a long and stressful day are puzzle games. These are the types that are usually relaxing but keep my brain stimulated, because I hate letting it go to waste. While it feels like I’ve gone through pretty much all puzzle games on the App Store while I’ve been here at AppAdvice, I’m always on the lookout for new ones. When I saw that Neo Angle was available and from the makers of Blyss (great game), I was excited to give it a try.
App Feels Like
Visually, Neo Angle is full of vintage ‘80s flair. The game falls under the minimalistic puzzle game category, so you can expect simple and clean graphics here. The game features various colored gradient backgrounds sprinkled with stars to give off a galactic feel, and it all helps the brightly colored neon lines stand out in the foreground. Animations are pretty smooth and fluid, with no issues of lag on my iPhone 7. To top off the retro aesthetic, Neo Angle is full of ‘80s inspired synth pop music, so it’s definitely one that you’ll be jamming to while you play. As someone who grew up in the late ‘80s, I can totally appreciate the look and feel that Neo Angle is going for.
Like many puzzle games, Neo Angle is level-based, and players go through each stage chronologically. The goal in Neo Angle is simple enough: pick up all of the fuel cells (spinning pink pyramids) and then head to the exit. However, while it starts off easy and straightforward, the difficulty picks up gradually as new traps and obstacles are introduced. And once you choose your path, you can’t turn back, so think before you move!
The control scheme in Neo Angle is easy enough for anyone to pick up. You control a pink triangle (think of a square cut in half diagonally), and you can move horizontally or vertically along the grid. The game has a bit of an angled top-down perspective, so your movement appears more diagonal than it should be. Tell your triangle what direction to move in with a swipe of your finger. But as you move, the space behind you lights up, indicating that you can’t go backwards. More traps and hazards get introduced as you advance in the stages, which make movement even more tricky.
However, while the controls work for the most part, I did find that sometimes the direction the triangle moves in did not match my swipe exactly. Depending on the level, sometimes it thinks I wanted to go down, when instead I was trying to go right. Hopefully the controls can be a bit more refined in a future update.
Another thing I noticed is that while there is a restart button in the top right corner for those times when you just want to start over, there’s no undo button. When you add in the fact that sometimes the swipes aren’t registered correctly, the lack of an undo button is annoying. If I know I moved incorrectly, I would prefer just going back one step at a time, rather than starting the stage from the very beginning. Honestly, it’s a bit weird that a puzzle game does not have an undo button — it’s just something you’d expect from a game in this category.
On the plus side, Neo Angle does not have move restrictions or time limits. The only thing that you must do is collect all of the fuel cells before you’re able to exit the stage and advance forward.
A neon infused and 80s inspired puzzle challenge with geometric shapes.
Neo Angle is a challenging puzzle game that will get your brain working. The visuals are a great homage to the classic ‘80s, and the music is definitely something you can groove to. The puzzles themselves start off easy enough, but as more obstacles are added, the difficulty picks up but at a gradual, never overwhelming pace. For the price, you get 80 levels, and it’s an excellent way to pass the time.
While Neo Angle is a fun and challenging puzzle, it isn’t without its own set of flaws. If you choose to replay a stage, you’ll have to go through the levels one-by-one on the level select screen, as there’s no way to view a bunch of completed ones at once. Another flaw is the lack of an undo button, so if you make a mistake, you’ll have to press restart and start from scratch. In the beginning stages, this may not be a big deal, but it can be a hassle on later levels.
The verdict
If you’re searching for a relaxing but stimulating puzzle game, then Neo Angle is a good option to consider. I’m enjoying it myself as a big puzzle fan. The retro graphics are fun to look at, and the music is delightful. The tutorial explains all of the basics to you, though it’s still pretty straightforward even without it. I do hope that the controls get a bit of refinement and an undo button is added in the future. Still, Neo Angle is a nice game for those who enjoy logic problems.
Neo Angle is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $0.99. There are no in-app purchases.