1Path Review

1Path is a puzzle game in which players tilt their mobile devices to control the trajectory of a green ball. The object of each stage is to maneuver the green ball between glowing points of light to connect them without hitting obstacles or running out of time. It's a simple concept, sure, but 1Path brings a cool aesthetic, an item system, and some quality level design to make the experience feel a bit more fresh than it might otherwise.

The game, much like its underlying concept, starts out simply enough. Players are given an opportunity to acclimate themselves to the tilt controls by playing out a first couple of levels that are relatively challenge-free. From there, lasers, bombs, and even shorter time limits raise the stakes of performing what started out as a pretty simple task.

As players complete levels, they earn gold that can be spent on items to help with these challenges. Some of these items include a shield that allows players to be protected from hazards, although only up to three times. Others include the ability to add time to the clock, just in case players need a little extra time to tilt their devices just right.

The best part about 1Path is its look and feel. It has a nice minimalistic aesthetic that makes it pretty easy to see all of the onscreen elements, even while tilting, and the tilting feels pretty great too. Players can even customize their tilt controls depending on how they are holding device, which is a nice added touch.

The only real problem I can lay against 1Path is that we've seen a deluge of puzzle games with this formula in the mobile space already. Players go through a series of levels of increasing difficulty, earning bonus points by completing objectives to earn them stars, and moving on to the next more challenging stage. It's not so much a problem of the game itself, but rather of my fatigue with seeing this kind of game emerge time and time again. Even the level select screen looks almost exactly like the level select screen of at least a dozen other games on iOS.

Of course this doesn't make 1Path a bad game, although it does make it a little bit of a disappointment. Players that haven't had their fill of this kind of boiler-plate puzzle game design can have a blast with 1Path because it looks great and feels responsive. The game doesn't break a ton of new ground, but it's competent(and free), so it does have enough going for it to make it recommendable. Although not necessarily to everyone.