Totem Forge Review: Casual Fun

“Totem Forge” is a turn-based puzzle game full of color that draws you in. It is a game that’ll remind you of “Tetris,” but it’s cool enough to connect with today’s gamers. Overall, thanks to lush graphics and intruiging gameplay, indie game developer Exaltrix does a great job of making “Totem Forge” different.

Like “Bubble Blaster” and “Jewel Quest” had a baby with a more modern feel, “Totum Forge” does this through the music, artwork and gameplay. What makes “Totem Forge” special is how such a simple game brings everything we love about casual puzzle games.

“Totem Forge,” like most games today, starts you right away- no tutorials, just right into the deep end. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. “Totem Forge” is a pretty straight-forward game- match orbs and similar items up to earn points. As you play the game, it starts off easy and can get boring at times, but as the game starts to heat up, it gets a lot more nerve wrecking. As you get closer to the bottom of the map, the game uses a fire animation to show you that you have to make a play. That’s what makes “Totem Forge” different- you can take five hits and as you score points will regain hit points. The standard set is five, which gives you some room for error and experimentation. While still being a colorful and easy to play game, it’s appealing to casual gamers.

It all starts from the beginning as the opening screen greets you with a mystical cave setting. The game has basic setting like turn music off and on along with leaderboards to see how you rank up against the rest of the world. The game is set in this mystic cave with a great soundtrack that goes so well with the game that you’ll forget it is even playing half of the time. This is great because it keeps you more engaged. However, for some, it may get very repetitive and boring.

“Totem Forge” has some cool gameplay elements as Tiki masks, Fireballs, Gold nuggets and Crystals keep you on your toes. It makes the game harder as you start to rack up points. There are times when playing “Totem Forge” that you think you may not be able to get out of a sticky situation, but more often than not, you’ll just to be able to just survive and continue ranking up points. There are achievements for those achievement hunters out there as well some may come easier than others.

But even with some cool elements at play, “Totem Forge” just doesn’t have enough to offer a hardcore gamer. Simply put, leaderboards just aren’t enough.

Although “Totem Forge” is not perfect, it is a game that can be played by anyone. It may lack replay value for some, but that doesn’t mean it is not fun. It is an infectious pick up and play game because it feels familiar to classic puzzle games, with its own twist.