Lost in Reefs: Antarctic

The Antarctic is not the kind of place you’d want to live in, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t life somewhere around there. The ocean is warm enough underneath the ice to provide shelter to a variety of aquatic creatures, most of which never really have to deal with the freezing cold at the surface. Still, that didn’t stop people from trying to go there as well.

Lost in Reefs: Antarctic is a match three game in which you are an explorer trying to find the secrets of an ancient civilization residing at the bottom of a frozen ocean. The gameplay mechanics are about as classic as they can get for the genre, which means that swapping tiles around is still your main activity. However, many other puzzles and challenges are part of the fun as well.

There is not much of a story to follow, but the experience does indeed feel like a journey of sorts. Hence, in order to venture into the ice world, you first need to gather the required equipment and make sure you have what you need to survive. This translates into a few rounds before the actual treasure hunt, in which you have to raise money for the equipment.

In order to make the levels more challenging, usually you’ll have to avoid a variety of traps and inconveniences. Sometimes, some of the gems are trapped with chains, and you need to match them first in order to clear the way for more jewels. Other times, there are immovable boxes blocking your way, although almost everything can be broken one way or the other.

There are also move limits most of the time, which means that you have to finish the level before making too many swaps. In the graphics department, you obviously shouldn’t expect a revolution, but the colorful environments and a variety of shiny gems can keep you in a good mood. The music isn’t bad either, but it’s not the kind of soundtrack you’ll remember later on.

In the end, Lost in Reefs: Antarctic is pretty much just like every other match three game out there, with just a few minor improvements and differences. However, it can be pretty challenging after a point, so not everyone is going to have an easy time with it.