Grindstone Review
Posted: 4 months ago.
Author: @GeekDadGamer.
Overview
You plot a course from square to square, moving vertically, horizontally and diagonally to chain together the most matching items and trigger combos. If you finish your turn next to a monster they hit you and take life points away. You finish the level once you get toe the exit at the top of the screen.
This means that you can take as long as you like in each level. But the longer you stay the more monsters appear. More chance for hacking and slashing them for points, but also more likelihood of being overwhelmed. You need to take extra care as your health doesn't restore between levels. Along the way you can pick up useful items and gadgets.
It's a well balanced puzzle game that tempts you to go for more loot, but also punishes you if your greed outstrips your puzzle solving abilities.
Game Details
Rating: PEGI 16+, ESRB TEEN
Release Date: 19/09/2019
Platforms: Nintendo Switch and iOS Apple Arcade
Genres: Action, Fighting and Puzzle
Developer: @CapyGames
Tips
View our choice of games like Grindstone. This game is good if you want to:
Commitment
Costs
Accessibility
Difficulty
How you can adjust the challenge of play, and assistance the game offers when you fail or get stuck.
Cognitive Pressure
Reaction-time Not Critical: Individual game actions don’t need quick reactions.
Low Pressure: Game tasks aren’t time-limited or with a high emphasis on performance. Or there is a low pressure play-mode available.
Tutorials: There are helpful tutorials, instructions and tips.
Reading
How much reading or listening comprehension is required, and how accessible this is.
Simple Minimal Reading: Minimal reading is required.
Large Clear Text: Text is large and clear, or can be adjusted to be.
Any spoken content has subtitles: All spoken content has subtitles, or there is no speech in the game.
Speaker Indicator: Captions or icons and speech bubbles indicate who is speaking.
Controls
How you control the game, different options for alternative inputs and whether you can remap these settings to suit your needs.
1 Button & Single Stick: Can play with button and stick.
One Motion Targeted: Play with touchscreen, tap and swipe or hold gesture.
Rapid Pressing Optional: Quick, repeated button pressing not required or can be skipped or disabled.
Image
How you can adjust the visuals to suit your needs, and offer additional information if you can't hear the game.
Visibility
Bright Colourful Palette: Game uses bright colours and is generally high contrast.
Large Game Elements: Game characters and other elements are large and distinguishable.
No Busy Backgrounds: No distracting backgrounds or you can make them static or blank.
Audio Cues for Visual Events: Audio is provided to indicate visual events.
Colourblind friendly: Game doesn’t rely on colour or can switch to colourblind friendly mode.
Clear Interface: The game navigation, maps and information are clear to read, large or adjustable.
Audio
How you can adjust the audio of the game and whether audio cues compensate for aspects of the game that are hard to see.
Balance Audio Levels: Set music and game sound effects separately.
Visual Cues for Audio Events: Text or other visual indicators of audio events.
Play Without Hearing: No audio cues are necessary to play the game well
System Settings
Nintendo Switch has some built-in features, including a lockable zoom, that can be used on all games. iOS has a very extensive suite of accessibility settings including ways to navigate with voice and comprehensive screen reading, though most of the features don't work with games... read more about system accessibility settings.
Supported by PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors: @GeekDadGamer

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