At first glance, this game may seem simple and unpretentious, but don’t let its appearance deceive you, because Tomb of the mask is an exciting adventure that you can not tear yourself away from. If you are an experienced gamer, this casual arcade puzzle game will remind you of good old retro games with its visual content. If you are from a new generation, then you have a chance to feel the spirit of what fascinated your “colleagues” at the dawn of the era of computer games, but at the same time enjoy modern gameplay – lively and bright.
The game came out from the “pen” of two development companies who worked in collaboration – Playgendary and Happymagenta. Initially, in 2016, it was introduced as a mobile exclusive for iOS, and for two years only happy owners of Apple technology could play Tomb of the mask. However, in 2018, the authors presented a version for Android, and later the “Tomb of the Mask” (this is how the name of the arcade is translated) was ported to other platforms.
Tomb of the mask is designed in retro style. Pixel graphics evoke memories of the 8-bit game consoles that a whole generation of gamers grew up on, or even arcade machines.
Critics greeted Tomb of the mask warmly, noting that she managed to maintain a fine line between gameplay insanity and accessibility for the player. It keeps you in suspense, not letting you relax, and makes you intensively look for ways to solve the puzzle at each level, but at the same time it does not turn into an impenetrable arcade game, where each level requires a dozen attempts.
Tomb of the mask is a labyrinth through which the player must guide the character, collecting dots and coins along the way. The idea is not new and was successfully implemented in the famous Pacman, but in this case, the developers modified it with some complications that diversify the process:
1. Obstacles. The levels are full of enemies. There are bats darting from corner to corner, and spikes rushing from wall to wall, and a puffer fish that becomes dangerous when inflated. The player needs to maneuver between all these threats, because a collision with them means failure.
2. Wave, she is the wall of death. A line gradually rises from the bottom of the screen, filling the game space with an environment unsuitable for the character’s life. If you can’t get out of the maze before colliding with her, it means losing.
3. Bonuses. In addition to points and coins that the player needs to collect, special items can be found in the labyrinth that provide small advantages. For example, magnets – they attract to the player everything that needs to be collected, and he does not have to look into every corner of the corridor. Or freezes for enemies, immobilizing them for a while.