I have a few concerns when it comes to talking about a paperless society, one of which is the inevitable loss of notebook games we used to play at school, with dog-eared paper and leaking pens. But Conceptis have allayed my fears with their series of logic puzzle games, and they've just released another. Dot-a-Pix Light is a connect-the-dots style game, with all the fun of discovering the emerging images without the eraser crumbs, heavy drawstrokes to cover mistakes and fingers stained with ink.
Like the classic connect-the-dot puzzles of our childhoods, Dot-a-Pix is simple in premise and easy to play. Click on the dots, starting at number one and ending on the final numbered dot that looks like a star, to complete the outline of a mystery image. As your mouse hovers over dots, their corresponding numbers pop a a little, which is a wonderful break from trying to ascertain whether that dot belongs to number 16 or number 17. Some dots are a little conjoined so there is very little if any frustration in making sure you click the correct dot. If you do click the wrong one, it's as simple as double-clicking to undo lines. You can also undo sections instead of the whole puzzle. As you click dots, the connected ones will fade, making it easier to see the unconnected dots and so increase your pace towards the completion of each puzzle.
Apart from being able to click to connect and undo, there are tabs at the top of the screen as in all of Conceptis' games, covering the necessary functions of undo, redo, restart, check, see solution and save. There are three levels comprising thirty puzzles altogether, starting from easy with 30 dots (pfft, I got stuck on the first one, until Jay told me that 14 not 15 comes after 13) gradually ramping up to puzzles with over 100 dots to connect.
There's barely any faulting the Conceptis Light series of games, and Dot-a-Pix is consistent with their light, fun and diversional qualities. Playing this connect-the-dots game still holds the joy of seeing pictures emerge from the scattered dots, and there's a slightly retro appeal to the images, reminiscent of line drawings I remember seeing in books as child. A combination of simple goal and easy to implement controls make this a fluid and relaxing game to play. Okay, so there's not a great deal of challenge, but when were connecting dot games ever really that challenging? And this is only Volume One so we can happily expect more to come.
Whether you call it connect-the-dots or dot-to-dot, Dot-a-Pix Light is what it sounds; light, logical and fun. So put away the pens and paper and enjoy a trip down the lane where your inner child plays.
Probably the worst "puzzle" type offered on Conceptis.
Good for printing out and giving to the kids if they are into it, but hardly worth the time for anyone over the age of 10. I guess one might try it out of curiosity or nostalgia, but I would be really amazed if there was anybody willing to "solve" more then one or two of these.
I had to double-check the date to make sure it wasn't April Fools. Frankly I enjoyed the long review of a connect-the-dots game as satire of the typical analysis JiG offers.
Meh. I usually solve the free dot-to-dot at Conceptis every week for the same reason I might play Windows solitaire. I'm not looking for an intellectual exercise, just a minute or two of mindless distraction and a small sense of putting the world in order.
That said, maybe my sense of humor isn't dry enough, but...wouldn't it have been easier just to write a short blurb in a link dump?
Yeah . . . I think it should have been on Link Dump Friday.
That said, I still played through all the puzzles. Even if it's not really that much of a challenge, I believe these sorts of puzzles can still stimulate and maintain your brain. I used to do a picture find thing that came with a newsletter, every week for years. I don't think it will make you smarter, but it's just like at least walking a little every day. You won't become a runner from it--it's for maintenance more than anything, to keep your brain active, opposed to doing a big stretch or a strenuous workout.
Unless you're like 6 or 8 or 10 or something, of course. In that case it may well be a strenuous brain workout.
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