Maze: The Broken Tower Collector's Edition

Casual games are usually designed to be as forgiving as possible in regards to gameplay mechanics and difficulty, even if the said games feature puzzles. The goal is to help the players relax and have a good time, but without requiring them to perform tedious tasks or know too much about computers. On the other hand, it’s nice to face a challenge every now and again.

Maze: The Broken Tower is a hidden object adventure game in which you get to unravel a mystery and solve a variety of interesting puzzles. Although there are no incredible advances when it comes to gameplay, given the fact that it’s just more of the same HOPA mechanics in a different setting, there are some subtle differences when it comes to the challenges you have to overcome.

The story is pretty unique as well, because it doesn’t feature as many magic artifacts or scary demons, for a change. Instead, you play the role of someone in charge of the demolition of a building, except that it all goes wrong at some point. Hence, it turns out that someone has trapped you in some sort of experiment, and you have to comply with the rules or accept certain death.

There are quite a few striking events that set Maze: The Broken Tower apart from most hidden object games, and the game also feels a lot more interactive for some reason. You often find yourself actively using items rather than just clicking on them, which does wonders for the overall atmosphere. Some of the puzzles are quite original as well, even if many are just reiterations of classic trial and error riddles.

The graphics deserve some praise as well, especially when it comes to level design and the way the designers managed to create a spooky atmosphere without resorting to obvious jump scares. You are always scrambling for answers and following mysterious directions, and even the environments reflect that. On top of all this, the sound effects and the soundtrack go very well with the general mood of the game.

In the end, Maze: The Broken Tower appears to be one step ahead of the competition, probably because there’s a dash of originality in almost every aspect. However, all the new elements are presented within a familiar and comfortable interface, as well as illustrated using gorgeous artwork, a combination that’s hard to say no to.

NOTE: This is a downloader for the game. Once run, the application will automatically download and install the game on your computer.

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