Unblur is a puzzle game that combines elements of visual decision making with spelling.
Puzzle games have gone through several different iterations over the years. Some are physics-based, some are pure and simple logic puzzles, and others are maddening combinations of all manner of different game styles.
However, one of the most classic puzzle game styles is a visual puzzle, which is the basic idea of obfuscating or hiding an image and trying to figure out what it actually is. Unfortunately, that can sometimes be a bit limiting and not fun enough to keep you playing. To encourage longevity, the best thing to do is to add a different type of gameplay to mix in. Unblur is a good example of this kind of game genre mashup, as it is both a visual puzzle game combined with a word game.
Each level, you are presented with a different image that has been massively blurred. You can take up to ten times to unblur the image, with each time you choose to do so, it reduces the amount of points you get. While the first unblur is free, each successive unblurring costs a little bit more of your points, making it quickly quite apparent that you need to be carefully saving up your points and not trying to unblur unless you really need to.
Once you think you know what the object being blurred actually is, you can then use some of the letters below the image to try and figure it out. If you are struggling with the answer, you can use a few clues or remove some of unnecessary letters from your letter pool.
The ultimate game behind Unblur is one of trying to guess the image – it is surprisingly difficult to even attempt to figure out what each image is without unblurring it at least a few times, but the problem is that if you unblur it four times, it costs more points than you actually get as a reward for completing it. If you always have to unblur it four or more times, you will quickly run out of points and essentially just lose the game.
This creates a difficult situation wherein it is likely that you will start to struggle after only a few levels, though there are over 900 total levels to enjoy.
Unblur can feel like a frustrating game at the start, with the images looking almost completely impossible to decipher. However, the more you play it, the better you get, until eventually you are completely able to work out every image after only a couple of unblurs. Unblur isn’t a perfect game, but considering its attempts to try and blend different genres, it does a surprisingly good job at making the entire experience pleasant and still enjoyable enough to play over and over again.
[review pros=”Great blend of two different game genres. Easy and understandable ascetic that makes the game clear and easy to understand.” cons=”The point cost of each unblur can feel rather painful and difficult to maintain.” score=9]
