Didgery - A Surprisingly Explosive Zen Puzzler

Developer Lotus Games
Publisher Zen Labs
Distributor Zen Labs
Where we got our copy Zen Labs
Genre Puzzle
Game modes Single Player
Reviewed on PC

Available on Xbox 360

Where to buy Steam

Sparrowhawk

Published April 21, 2017

The cards lie on the board and I sit like a cartomancer looking for clues in the way they lie. I find the run of numbers that works and… boom . As strange as it sounds, it feels so satisfying. Didgery sits just near to so many solitaire-like games. But it is not solitaire, even through it’s still a game my mum could play to pass the time. The board may be covered in playing cards, and you still look for chains of numbers, but Didgery is fundamentally a puzzle game.

The heart of the game is making runs of cards, from high to Aces-low, within suits and hopping across on like-numbered cards. Each move will have you scouring the board for the best chain of adjacent cards. A longer chain is worth a better score and an explosive end, clearing swathes of the board for fresh cards. Each explosion comes with a mystic hum and great animation. And when you add in the special cards that come in a drip feed, the game gets decent depth. These cards are shuffled into the cards that fill the spaces you clear. They can act as wild cards, bridges to cover gaps, and even portals to jump to distant and useful parts of the board.

Didgery presents itself as a Zen experience. That’s even what the default mode is titled. And beyond the mythic frame story, it’s also part of the core design. There’s a score counter, which racks up as you play. But with no leaderboard or lose condition, the score is really just an ephemeral thing you change for the satisfaction of the thing. And really, isn’t that the core of a casual experience? The score becomes a tracker of your personal journey towards mastery of the form. There’s an addictive sense of accomplishment as you transition from scouring the board for the best move to almost intuitively predicting the best start without thinking.

The music hovers somewhere between meditative and muzak. I’ve already mentioned the great explosion animation, as the cards tear off the board and burn in the air. It all combines to set the mood for the light story the game offers. Yes, it’s solitaire story-mode. You are on a spiritual journey to connect with the deity Didgery. As you clear cards in Zen mode, you unlock hidden texts written in religious cadence. These offer a glimpse into a world that was, one with a direct divine connection. Through this story, the game blends mastery of the puzzle form with spiritual trappings to lure you in. Once you’ve proven your skill, a more ominous presence makes itself known.

Seems legit.

Just as you’ve settled into the style of Zen mode, you unlock (quite literally) Nightmare mode. Now it’s a time attack, where you have to keep a balance between the suits you chain together. Each suit has a meter that depletes very quickly. Gone is the meditative planning. Now all you can do is speed through any chain you can spot as the colours fade and the music disappears. While the game over screen is a bit of a long look at a slightly cheesy nightmare skull, it suits the game’s style.

However, I worry that the game doesn’t quite have the staying power, to trap most users into Candy-Crush-levels of casual addiction. But this ins’t a mobile game, so Didgery needs to work much harder to draw players in. For those who like solitaire and other solo casual experiences, Didgery’s definitely a strong contender, but it needs to stand out with it’s other features. And while the story and drip-fed special cards give you an incentive to keep going, I found it hard to sit at my PC playing something that stills feels like what my mum plays between marking exams.

I think Didgery would do well ported onto mobile, a market much more hospitable to casual games than Steam’s ecosystem. Because if I’m looking for a relaxed experience, I have hours of Stardew Valley farming already under my belt. Card chains just aren’t quite enough to hold my attention. And while comparing the two isn’t apples and apples, I can’t help but feel the game was a little too casual for my tastes. But I know my mum would disagree.

The cards lie on the board and I sit like a cartomancer looking for clues in the way they lie. I find the run of numbers that works and... boom. As strange as it sounds, it feels so satisfying. Didgery sits just near to so many solitaire-like games. But it is not solitaire, even through it's still a game my mum could play to pass the time. The board may be covered in playing cards, and you still look for chains of numbers, but Didgery is fundamentally a puzzle game. The heart of the game is making runs of cards, from high to Aces-low, within suits and hopping across on like-numbered cards. Each move will have you scouring the board for the best chain of adjacent cards. A longer chain is worth a better score and an explosive end, clearing swathes of the board for fresh cards. Each explosion comes with a mystic hum and great animation. And when you add in the special cards that come in a drip feed, the game gets decent depth. These cards are shuffled into the cards that fill the spaces you clear. They can act as wild cards, bridges to cover gaps, and even portals to jump to distant and useful parts of the board. Didgery presents itself as a Zen experience. That's even what the default mode is titled. And beyond the mythic frame story, it's also part of the core design. There's a score counter, which racks up as you play. But with no leaderboard or lose condition, the score is really just an ephemeral thing you change for the satisfaction of the thing. And really, isn't that the core of a casual experience? The score becomes a tracker of your personal journey towards mastery of the form. There's an addictive sense of accomplishment as you transition from scouring the board for the best move to almost intuitively predicting the best start without thinking. The music hovers somewhere between meditative and muzak. I've already mentioned the great explosion animation, as the cards tear off the board and burn in the air. It all combines to set the mood for the light story the game offers. Yes, it's solitaire story-mode. You are on a spiritual journey to connect with the deity Didgery. As you clear cards in Zen mode, you unlock hidden texts written in religious cadence. These offer a glimpse into a world that was, one with a direct divine connection. Through this story, the game blends mastery of the puzzle form with spiritual trappings to lure you in. Once you've proven your skill, a more ominous presence makes itself known. [caption id="attachment_222907" align="aligncenter" width="950"] Seems legit.[/caption] Just as you've settled into the style of Zen mode, you unlock (quite literally) Nightmare mode. Now it's a time attack, where you have to keep a balance between the suits you chain together. Each suit has a meter that depletes very quickly. Gone is the meditative planning. Now all you can do is speed through…

Video Game Review: Didgery – A Surprisingly Explosive Zen Puzzler

2017-04-21

Sparrowhawk

Total - 7

70 7

Didgery is a solid entry in the casual puzzle genre, offering a surprising level of depth and engagement. It's really well packaged, with an interesting story element to keep you engaged. But I think it's a game that wants to be on mobile, and it will struggle to hold the attention of players outside the core casual market amid cluttered Steam libraries.

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Sparrowhawk

Gaming Author at Geek Node

Brendan hides behind both LCD and DM screens from the lure of adult life. Perpetual student on hiatus and freelance writer of things. Indie game enthusiast. Maker of puns and cuddler of cats.