GravBot’s concept is so simple that the tutorial for the game is boring. Given the main concept is simply collecting batteries while you rotate the world around you with the push of a button, teaching that mechanic is mundane. The first level or two, where you simply rotate the world you’re in once or twice, collect the battery, and move on, hardly give the impression this is a concept worth seeing to conclusion.
And then you’ll keep playing. Soon, there are platforms you have to raise, switches you need to place blocks on to keep them pushed down, and other platform game tropes all thrown into a new perspective, thanks to the literal gravity of the protagonist’s situation.
Sure, flipping a switch to open a door is easy enough on your standard adventure/platform game, but GravBot asks you to flip that switch and then find a way to orient your character without knocking him out of the level by pushing gravity the wrong way, which would throw him out of the level.
In short, GravBot is a delightfully challenging game. And it’s not without charms, either. The character you play as is some sort of small TV with a charm all his own. It’s hard to pin down why, but the oddity of moving this little television makes the game all the more charming.
If there’s any frustration to GravBot, it’s that it’s only a free app for a brief portion. The first 12 levels, which admittedly will provide you a few hours of play time, come free. After that, you’ll pay for additional levels. They’re worth the price, too, but it’s just a tad disappointing when you don’t see the pay wall coming until it hits you in the mouth.
If you’re looking for a unique and challenging puzzle game, GravBot more than fits the bill. Its use of familiar platform-based puzzles, mixed with the gravity factor of being able to move the world around you makes for a great experience.
