Hi everyone, and welcome back to My Week Unwrapped, where I discuss all the games I’ve been playing over the last seven days. This week is more about quality than quantity, including a surprise release from Glitch Games. There was also a surprise update to one of my favorite match-three games and also a surprise Netflix release (at least for me). There are some really solid games to discuss today, so pull up a chair and let me tell you about them.

A Fragile Mind

Only three months after their last game came out, Glitch Games is back with yet another puzzle adventure that will hurt your brain. They kept this one quiet until it was out and it’s part of their attempt to make smaller, more frequent games. But don’t let that deter you from grabbing A Fragile Mind. This is one of their trickier games, and I found myself stumped more often than usual. Everything is still logical, though, so take your time with it and enjoy the challenge. As usual, there’s a hefty amount of humor, so I recommend tapping on everything you can so you don’t miss any jokes. Overall, this is another solid entry to the Glitch Games collection and any puzzle fans should have a good time working through all the solutions. It also only costs $1.99, which is super cheap. And if you get stuck, you can use the in-game hints or my walkthrough guide for more in-depth explanations.

The Case of the Golden Idol

I only vaguely heard of The Case of the Golden Idol before, but when it showed up on Netflix this week, it looked right up my alley and I jumped in almost immediately. First off, I’m surprised it wasn’t on mobile sooner, as it’s a perfect fit. The controls just involve tapping on things in the scene to find clues and then dragging those clues to input boxes to solve the murder mystery. I’m finding the actual mysteries a bit tricky to solve, but it’s probably in part due to the fact that I’m recording my playthrough and that makes me feel more pressured to get to the answer. I might just play the rest on my own so I can take my time and really examine all the evidence. In any case, it’s a great game and I highly recommend playing it if you have a Netflix subscription.

Bright Reappear

Bright Reappear released almost exactly a year ago and it quickly became one of my favorites match-threes. What makes it unique is that you have action points that limit how many moves you can make per turn. But you can earn more action points if you play it right and that’s what helps you defeat a difficult enemy. The game launched with four playable characters, each with different skills and play style that made it worth completing the game with each one. There were also two more classes shown in the App Store screenshots and all this time I was wondering if there was any way to access them. Well, that’s what this new update gives us. We can now play as Will the Orc and Sean the Red Panda. What’s more is that they each introduce wildly different gameplay compared to the other characters. Instead of swapping gems to make matches, the orc has you tapping groups of tiles to clear them. Each tap consumes an action point, but matching 6 or more experience books gives you more action points. To me, he feels like the easiest character to play and he also hits hard. The Red Panda also plays very differently. He wields a crossbow and you make matches by drawing a path through connecting tiles. I’ve played other games with that mechanic and I normally like them, but here it feels a little too easy to select the wrong tiles. On an iPhone it’s especially frustrating because my finger covers so much of the board while I’m drawing. I’m already near the end with the Orc on my iPhone but I doubt I’ll stick with the Red Panda because it’s just so clunky to play. Still, I’m glad we got this update and that both characters feel so fresh to play compared to the others. But I would recommend playing the Red Panda on an iPad if you’re going to play through the whole campaign with him.

Wuthering Waves

I spent some more time with Wuthering Waves this week and even won the limited 5-star, Jiyan. There were aspects I enjoyed, including one of the weekly boss battles. In fact, combat is the most appealing part of the game for me. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be continuing with it anymore. I don’t enjoy exploration because the world is so drab and ugly. I don’t get excited about it like I do with Genshin. I never stop and go “wow” while I’m running around. The story and quests also feel like a slog, so all that’s left is combat and character animations, which I do like. But I’d have to go through the whole grind to further build them — and get access to the next part of the main story quest. And I’m just not feeling it. I don’t even particularly love building characters in Genshin, but everything else around that makes it worth the effort. In Wuthering Waves, I’m just not seeing the appeal. But I’m sure there are others who are just glad to have another game similar to Genshin, even if it’s not quite on the same level.

Genshin Impact

And last, I played Genshin Impact, but not a whole lot. There was one event going on for a few days that I enjoyed, but now it’s over and I’m mostly just waiting for the next one.

And that’s everything I’ve been up to this week! I also finally finished Better Call Saul, and I think it was really wrapped up nicely. I feel bad for Kim, though. I also watched the final season of Sweet Tooth, which I have mixed feelings about. Mainly, I don’t get how the characters are all so sure that hybrids won’t make the same mistakes humans have. But I get it’s mainly meant to be a wholesome story for kids so it’s fine. Anyway, let me know in the comments section which games you’re playing and I’ll see you back here next time with more of My Week Unwrapped!