Tappingo is a seemingly simple yet deceptively tricky puzzle game, which will give you good memories of the 8-bit pixel days.
You start off with an unfinished pixel drawing. You will need to extend the numbered blocks into lines. Each block has a number on the block hints to the correct line length. A simple tap and swipe will start the line going, but lines don’t stop extending until they hit another block, line or edge of the screen so it takes some thinking to get them all done. If the block has a “2” on it and there are three spaces next to it you can’t extend that block until another has been extended to block the path. Since some blocks have multiple directions that they can be extended you’ll have to give the whole puzzle a look before you just start extending lines. When all numbered blocks show the ‘OK’ sign the puzzle is solved.
Be careful though. If you make a mistake and ‘take back’ one of your moves, any other blocks which were extended and collide with that block will then keep extending. So you may have to undo several other blocks as a result.
There are more than 100 puzzles to solve and as you make your way through the game they get larger and more complex. There is nothing to unlock though so if you’re finding the earlier puzzles too easy you can skip right to the tough ones. But solving even the easier ones is very fun.
The game is like an interactive version of one of those logic puzzles in the newspaper. You can stare at it and then try to solve it. Simple but fun.
Hugo Smitts, the designer of the game, has made several puzzles an homage to the 8-bit days, with puzzles based on the Nintendo Game Boy, Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64. Another nice addition to the game is the soundtrack, which was done by Wiklund. The music is catchy and very well done.
Overall Tappingo is a very fun game and presents a unique and interesting challenge.
