Pentumble Review – Mechanical Mayhem at its Finest

Once upon a time, there was a tiny robotic gear that got infused with the breath of life, and decided to go on a whirlwind adventure.

Once upon a time, there was a tiny robotic gear that got infused with the breath of life, and decided to go on a whirlwind adventure. This is the story I envision behind Pentumble , an adrenaline pumping, mechanical based platformer for iOS/Mac by Heftone. From a distance, it looks like every mechanic’s dream, but Pentumble oozes a magical charm that can capture the heart of any player.

When I first began playing, it took me a few seconds to figure out the ‘sticky’ gameplay mechanic, which basically allows your gear to attach itself onto any surface like superglue. In Pentumble, there are 36 levels of mechanical mayhem, which gradually gear up in difficulty (pun very much intended) but never stop being enjoyable. Your main aim in each stage is to reach the yellow star, while skilfully maneuvering through a labyrinth of spinning cogs, moving wooden platforms, spiky death traps, and gaseous flames once you reach the higher stages.

You move by simply touching the left and right arrows on the bottom left corner of your screen, while your thumb controls the jump button on the right. The crux of gameplay revolves around expert timing, your ability to generate an appropriate angle to jump at, and finally, jumping itself. In essence, it’s a platforming puzzle game that forces you to strategize in order to succeed, and succeeding is definitely harder than it sounds. But I can guarantee you’ll have a blast doing it.

Sometimes, you’ll have to collect keys (red and green) to unlock a section up ahead that is blocking access to the star, which enhances the challenging nature of the game in the best way possible. The level design in Pentumble is so unique and imaginative, that even when my robot gear turned to dust I was keen to give it another shot. Creating a game like this isn’t easy, but great game designers make it look easy. Each puzzle I was presented with felt like a joy; I could literally feel the gears of my brain working furiously in sync with the gears in the level. Pentumble is never too hard, and never too easy – it’s just right. It hits the sweet spot of difficulty and enjoyment that all games aspire to reach.

Another feature of Pentumble you might glean from the screenshots is the time and star rating system. They’re neatly tucked away in the top right hand corner, silently timing and adjudicating your gameplay. After you defeat a level, you are rated either one, two, or three stars depending on how efficient you were at reaching the yellow star; so basically, the quicker you can reach your goal the better. If you’re aching for a perfect three star run, each level has a replay option with pre-recorded/ghost times.

Just when you think this game couldn’t get any more awesome-it does. The accompanying soundtrack is like a fusion of techno-ninja music, and is fits like a glove with all the levels. If we get a sequel to Pentumble, I’d really like to have a different theme for each stage, as I believe that would boost the game’s atmosphere and engage players even more.

There were some levels that drove me mad (with delight, naturally!) such as the ones with bubbles (see above). Like bubbles in real life, they eventually pop, so you have to coordinate your jumps in time to hop along the bubble ‘gateway’ in order to reach the keys and the star up above. But given that I had reached the more complicated levels, I was secretly glad that I couldn’t beat the bubble stages in just a few goes.

All in all, I absolutely loved this game. There’s a perception out there that human beings can’t love cold, robotic things, but this 5 pointed gear is the exception, folks. Pentumble is engaging in all the right ways, and when my gear died I felt inspired to try again, rather than feel defeated by the slowly increasing difficulty level, which is a hallmark of wonderful game design. To add to that, winning is always within your reach, even if you’re a beginner, which is a really smart way to broaden the potential target audience. If you likedand swear by games that challenge your brain, do not miss this. It is the sort of game that slowly works its way into your heart, and before you know it, you’ve fallen in love with a metal gear. And what happens when you beat all 36 levels, my dear readers? My sincerest apologies, but I’m still trying to beat level 36 as we speak.

Pentumble will soon be available on the app store for iOS, but in the meantime, anyone with a Mac can have a go at the demo available on the Heftone website. Pentumble is an absolute treat. Let us know what you think about it after you’ve had a chance to play it for yourselves in the big white box below.