Go Meets the Arcade?
Tilelander is certainly unusual: Sometimes playing it feels like playing Go, sometimes like playing Space Invaders, and sometimes like playing Brickout, but fundamentally it's a puzzle game, with each level requiring some thought to solve.
How's that possible? In each level, you control a sprite that starts at a fixed location on the screen (your base). Your objective is to (as in Go) capture territory by encircling it. You move your sprite in the four cardinal directions with the mouse, laying bricks behind you, and when you've enclosed an area, it fills with bricks (not incidentally eliminating any opponents within the encircled area).
Opponents move on the screen, and when they encounter bricks, eat them. If they sever a line of bricks you're laying out before you encircle an area, the bricks between the point at which the line is severed and your current location is removed, and your sprite returns to your base. And if they encounter your sprite, you lose and have to restart the level.
Technically, it's turn based: each time your sprite moves one space, each opponent moves, too. So you can take it slow and plan your moves--but quite often, you'll zap a line across space, with the opponents moving as quickly as you, so that the feeling of play becomes more like that of a continous-action arcade game.
Many levels (there are 70) contain power ups, like spaces that fire bullets against enemies when you enter them, and there are many enemy types, too, like ones that drop bombs.
It's a hard game to imagine without seeing it in action--so give this a try:
The Developer Says:
Tilelander is a surprising game that can be played as a puzzle or as an action game - it's up to you whether to play in a relaxed mood or with a furious attitude!
Save Tileland from the invasion of the evil Xyzon empire by filling tile areas and using special items such as blasts, remote controls and generators to complete level after level.
Puzzling action, beautiful graphics, thrilling and addictive gameplay
Features
- A fun game that can be played as puzzle, with careful thinking behind every move; Or in a furious wipe-them-all urge! It's up to you how to play.
- Addictive gameplay with progressively unlockable levels and four difficulty settings for extra longevity.
- Over 70 delicious levels combining a variety of gameplay, from peaceful tile filling and maze solving to more involved shoot'em'up. And good-humored level names too!
- Refreshing graphics, blending a retro touch with exuberant color gradients.
- Can be played with keys, mouse or joystick.
Reviews
"This is the kind of game that will leap off the console and leave a lasting impression, along the lines of Pac Man, Donkey Kong, Tetris and other iconic video games that helped shape a genre."
- Just Another Mobile Monday (Pocket PC version)
"One of the most obvious areas where Tilelander shines is in the area of level design. Every level depicts a different scene or object and has a catchy title. This is much more appealing than levels of randomly placed tiles and it adds another dimension to gameplay. But don't be fooled by the pretty pictures: these levels are highly functional, many of them spanning multiple screens, requiring you to move back and forth between screens. The opposite is also true: some of the levels will present you with areas that are much smaller than the whole screen. This variety is a welcome development and adds a lot to the game's enjoyability."
- Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine