It is very rare to see a developer releasing their game first on or exclusive to Windows Phone 8 or BlackBerry 10. It’s not that the developer does not want it, this is rather due to the limited marketshare of both platforms. No developer wants to limit the profit potential of their game by releasing it on two of the least popular smartphone OSes(BB10 & WP8). But it looks like ReFocus Labs‘ gamble has succeeded as Hues already has an established user base of around 1,00,000. Cheers to the developers.
What Is Hues ?
Hues is a puzzle/card game inspired by threes and 2048 according to ReFocus Labs’ description. It is a puzzle/card game for a new age with enhanced gameplay and powerups.
Your main objective in the game is to combine the same Hues and score more points. Each Hue has its own numerical value which is revealed at the end of the round. The smallest Hue has a value of 2. This value keeps on doubling (4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and so on) till the time you unlock the final Hue. All the Hues you earn can be used to buy different abilities which come in very handy during the different game modes.
Basics and Mechanics
In the gaming industry, innovation happens in two ways, either by introducing something totally new or by refining others’ innovations. Hues fits in the latter category, even the developer does not hesitate to claim so. ReFocus Labs have tried to innovate over an already established gameplay mechanic by adding new elements and changing a few of the basic concepts.
To get the things started, the game has three different game modes:
1. 60 seconds – This mode actually puts your matching skills to the test. Generally in puzzle/card games the player gets infinite time to plan their moves and think about how their move will reflect on the overall game, but due to the time limit you will be forced to act much quicker. The time limit forces the player to play quickly and always think of something new and different since same tactics won’t last long.
2. 75 moves – This mode is very similar to what you have seen in traditional puzzle/ card games but the only difference is in the number of moves. You are limited to 75 moves but it barely affects your playstyle because you can easily plan your moves in advance and judge them.
3. Endless Mode – As the name suggests, this mode does not have any sort of limitation. You continue to play the game until you run out of combinations. But you will need to pay $0.99 to unlock this mode. The developers have played it very smart. The modes you get for free will always leave you with a desire to play more and after some time, you will be tempted to buy it as you find yourself addicted to the game.
Besides the three different game modes, Hues also has three different abilities, two of which are mode specific. The first ability allows the user to add 10 more seconds to the time limit and this ability is only available in 60 seconds mode. The second ability is limited to 75 moves mode. This ability gives you 15 more moves. Both of the abilities have same function (to give more playtime) but the approach is different. The third ability can be used in any mode as it gives the user the ability to upgrade any one Hue. All the abilities can be used only once per round.
ReFocus Labs have not only added new elements, but also changed a few of the fundamentals of the genre. If you were thinking that the game is kind of easy and does not provides any real action, consider yourself mistaken. The biggest twist in the game is that you cannot combine two hues without the support of walls or any other hue, this makes the game a lot more challenging as compared to other puzzle/card games. To make things a bit easy, the developers have added a bar on the top which informs you of next hue. It gives you complete control over your actions as you are aware of all possible outcomes and what is coming next.
Music/GUI
ReFocus Labs seems to hit all gameplay targets correctly, but what about the UI and the music you might ask. The music in the game is refreshing and energizing at the same time. The music always starts slowly and as you progress tempo of the music continues to energize you. Hues has one of the best GUIs that I have seen. It’s easy to understand and everything is one press away and the best part is the colour of the UI keeps on changing as you progress.
After releasing on BB10 (which you can get here) and WP8 (here), Hues is now making it’s way to Android (here). It remains free on all platforms with in-app purchases.
