Colourfill Review

Retro games are popular on iOS because they remind people of their childhood. The pixelated graphics and 8-bit soundtracks are a throwback to a different generation. Thankfully the App Store always has a plethora of arcade games for those who just can’t get enough. Colourfill takes the color-matching element and throws it into an action arcade mix to give gamers plenty of addicting gameplay.

There are 5 different chapters that total to 40 levels and each one is unlocked as players advance. The main objective is to swipe horizontally or vertically on the screen to divide it into a smaller section. Players are shown what color is next in the upper-left corner of the screen. Dividing the screen splits it into a different color, and there are various colorful enemies on each level that need to be trapped inside their own color in order to destroy them. Trapping an enemy of a different color or allowing an enemy to run into the color line before it fills results in the loss of one heart life. Once players clear 80 percent of the level before time runs out, they get to advance to the next one.

The score is shown at the end of the level and is determined by the number of moves, time remaining, enemies killed, and lives remaining. Players can earn up to four stars on a level, and each one can be replayed again if this isn’t achieved the first time. As players advance the levels become more difficult, with different enemies and power-ups introduced along the way. Those who work their way to the end will slowly unlock achievements and climb the Game Center leaderboards.

While Colorfill is challenging and addicting, there are still a few areas that need polishing. For instance, there were times where I couldn’t make a line no matter where I swiped on the screen. I ended up having to close out of the game and restart it because there wasn’t a pause button or way to get back to the main menu. Furthermore, the graphics could use some improvement as they looked like they could be sharper on my retina display and they didn’t fill the entire iPhone 5 screen.

Even though there are a few setbacks, Colourfill is still a blast to play. Hopefully a future update addresses the issues mentioned, but for now the retro game provides plenty of challenging replay value at a fair price of less than one dollar.