Lucid Demo

Match three games are usually designed for the casual crowds out there, which includes people who only play in order to relax a bit and forget about the daily routine for a while. Hence, the gameplay mechanics are as simple as possible, although the difficulty level ranges wildly as you manage to get further and further.

Lucid uses the same formula in most parts, but it adds a bit of originality as well, in the form of new gameplay mechanics to make the experience feel different. As such, instead of simply having to match same-colored blocks by clicking on them, you also have to connect them using a continuous line. While this sounds just as easy and straightforward in theory, things are a bit more frustrating in practice.

To start off with, this leaves you very few possible combinations and suddenly you won’t be so happy to see many blocks cluttering in one place. Although it is still fun to see the jewels disappear when you manage to connect them, the experience gets annoying pretty quickly. In case you run out of options, the board automatically resets, so you never to get to feel any sense of achievement.

Another interesting addition is the fact that you are guided from the sides toward a specific block color, so you are provided with additional points if you clear them in a particular order. While this certainly adds a new layer to the puzzle, it makes the experience even more linear. However, there are some neat combos you can achieve if you respect the order, which help you finish the levels that much faster.

The game also emphasizes on relaxation, which is made obvious by the pleasant color scheme and the zen-like soundtrack playing in the background. There’s no game over screen, although you can easily revert your score back to zero if you make a mistake and reset the table at a bad time. Hence, as relaxing as the game intends to be, frustration can still kick the door in every once in a while.

Despite its flaws and gameplay issues, Lucid can provide the players with substantial amounts of fun and entertainment, as long as you can turn a blind eye to the occasional inconvenience. Hence, the game is certainly worthy of a try, especially if you are a fan of match three games and you are looking for something new.