Hi everyone, and welcome back to My Week Unwrapped, where I discuss all the games I’ve been playing over the last seven days. Now that 2022 is out of the way, I’ve had more time to spend with new games. 2023 is already off to a good start, though I’ve also gotten sucked back into Six Match. If you’re looking for something to play in the new year, why not try one of these?

Boxville

I’m a big fan of Amanita Design’s games, so when I saw Boxville, which is clearly inspired by Machinarium, I knew I needed to play it. It’s by Ukrainian developer, Triomatica Games, and is text-free just like its inspiration. You play as a walking soda can who’s looking for his lost dog. It’s not a long game, but I enjoyed meeting all the quirky characters and the puzzles were all pretty logical. My main complaint with it is that there’s a lot of running back and fourth in the third act, and there’s no way to speed up the walking animations — or any animations. It got a little tiresome going up and down the elevator and it made me less willing to experiment and more likely to seek hints. Still, I enjoyed the experience and would gladly play future games by the developer. I also have a walkthrough here if anyone needs help.

Chronescher

I’d heard of Chronescher before and was always surprised that it wasn’t on mobile, since it seemed to be inspired by Monument Valley (MV). Then I forgot all about it until I received an announcement that it was available on iOS and Android. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was certainly not that it would be trickier than Monument Valley. You move around the same way — by tapping on a tile — and it also uses perspective as a mechanic. That means you can rotate the camera and make two edges meet that wouldn’t from a different angle. You can still walk on it because, well, that’s how it works. The game isn’t nearly as pretty as MV, but the puzzles so far are better than I’ve seen in any other game that tried to do something similar. There is one caveat, though. For many of the puzzles, you basically have to experiment and fail in order to figure out the solution. There’s no way to tell what buttons will do until you step on them. Thankfully, the game has an undo button, as well as a quick restart button if you just want to scrap everything you did. So, despite its trickier puzzles, it’s still pretty relaxing. I only played through the first 1.5 chapters, so I have a lot more ahead of me. But this seems like a pretty safe bet for any puzzle fans.

TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge

I’ve always been a fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, so I was thrilled to see that Playdigious brought TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge to mobile via Netflix. I only played through the first two chapters so far, and perhaps should have chosen the “Chill” difficulty mode, because I very narrowly beat the second chapter boss. It seems like a well-made port, but the controls don’t feel positioned well on my iPad and I couldn’t find any way to adjust them. It might be better to play either on a phone or with a controller. Playdigious is also usually great with their mobile ports and often implement adjustable controls, so I’m hoping that might come in an update. In any case, it’s definitely worth trying out if you have a Netflix subscription, especially if you play with a controller.

Illustrated

Illustrated is a jigsaw puzzle game from BorderLeap that just released today on Apple Arcade. They worked with a number of different artists to offer a huge amount of puzzles to work through. What I like about it I how the puzzles start in black and white, but as you add pieces the color starts to come through. Each piece also adds to the music, which is another nice touch. And last, the puzzles have two sides — one is just the illustration and the other has a quote from the author. You can switch back and forth between the two sides as much as you want. I find that early on it’s easier to match through the words, but as the color is added the painting on its own can be enough. If you like jigsaw puzzles, you’ll definitely want to give Illustrated a try.

Puzzle Gods

As a match-three fan, I’m always on the lookout for quality premium experiences, since they’re so rare. I gave Puzzle Gods a chance since it’s on Netflix and therefore has no IAPs. It’s fine for what it is, but it feels too much like a freemium game with the IAPs removed. There’s just nothing all that exciting about it. I’ll just go back to playing Six Match.

Six Match

I finished the puzzle mode in Six Match and made a video for anyone who needs help. But I’ve also been playing a ton of the original endless survival mode on my iPhone in between playing all these other games. The UI improvements keep me from making any accidental swipes, so any mistakes are completely my fault. I’m still trying to beat my old high score, but I got impatient and messed up too many times. I’m back at it, though, and trying to be more mindful so I don’t make silly mistakes. Again, if you haven’t played it yet, this is one of the best match-three games out there and everyone should own it.

Genshin Impact

And last is, of course, Genshin Impact. There isn’t a whole lot going on right now, though. The Across the Wilderness event ended and now we just get double ley line rewards for a few days. I’m mainly just waiting for 3.4 to come so I’ll have a new area to explore.

And that’s everything I’ve been up to this week. My Play.Date also arrived, but I haven’t had much of a chance to play with it yet. I’m hoping to start this weekend. I’ll probably report back, but I haven’t decided yet how much coverage I’ll give it or in what capacity. I also finished Yellowjackets this week and started Dexter: New Blood, which I had forgotten even existed. Anyway, let me know in the comments section which games you’re enjoying and I’ll see you back here next time with more of My Week Unwrapped!