Sembl Review

Sembl, a puzzle game from Artgig Studio, is all about shapes, colors, and patterns. It’s straightforward in what it offers: simple match-that-design gameplay. It exudes neither deep mechanics nor brutal challenge, and I’m completely okay with that.

Sembl provides a shape at the top of the screen and tasks you with matching it in a set number of steps. Early on, you might only need to change the color of half of a shape, then add polka dots. A few levels later, you might have to flip the shape once or twice and cut off an edge. That deceptively easy start won’t last for long, though, as each level introduces new and more complex designs. By the time you reach the halfway point at level 16, you’ll be solving 15-step puzzles that require multiple color changes, object placement, rotation, and more.

It’s a progressive system that does a fine job of steadily increasing the difficulty as you go, which you’ll appreciate if you’re a sub-par puzzle gamer like me. More often than not, however, I felt over-prepared for the difficulty jumps. Sembl tends to spoon-feed you entire levels focused on one new mechanic. It started to wear on me after a while, especially when five (or more) puzzles in a row featured the exact same steps with different shapes and colors.

Some players might be disappointed by the fact that the game never reaches an exceptionally high level of difficulty, but there’s a way around that. Sembl offers a second game mode that pits you against the clock for a more challenging experience. The clock starts at a minute, and you race to match as many designs as you can in that time, with each success yielding additional time. It’s a nice - and frantic - change of pace from the primary never-fail mode that adds an appreciated layer of replayability.

For the most part, though, Sembl provides a genuinely relaxing experience. That’s largely due to the gameplay itself, but I’d be remiss not to mention the colorful visuals, soothing music, and easy to navigate interface. Together, these elements create a welcoming atmosphere that has the potential to pull in even the most reluctant puzzle players.

If that player is you, then give Sembl a try - it’s free, after all. Pull it out on your next lunch break or morning commute and you just might be surprised.