The Next Arrow by game developer Kevin Choteau is your next puzzle gaming fix. It is streamlined with appealing muted colors, and a crisp design layout. The game is a challenge, but in a good way. All you have to do is keep your arrow moving, or it is game over.
Kevin Choteau works in the game industry by day, and is an independent game developer by night. Wearing two hats can be challenging, but thus far, he has created three games for Android. They are: On the Line and Splode ‘N’Die, and now, The Next Arrow. His games often walk the tightrope, balancing levels of difficulty with fun. The Next Arrow continues in that same vein. The premise for the game is very straightforward, keep the arrow moving. Doing that however, requires forethought, planning and patience. The game is now available to download on Android and iOS.
You are presented with a board that has tiles with arrows sporadically placed on them. The arrows vary in color, but what is most important is the direction they are pointing in. As long as you choose an arrow pointing in a direction that leads to another arrow, you are golden. The game continues with each successive step you take. Unfortunately, as easy as it sounds, the game is not, by any stretch of the imagination. The key to success in the game, is taking the time to look at the whole board and plan your moves in advance as best you can. In a way, the game reminds me of chess. You must think several steps ahead, and respond with what you are presented with after you make your move.
Some of the arrows are singular, meaning they point in one direction. Other tiles have dual arrows that point in opposite directions, and then you have a special tile that will allow you to move in any direction. Once your choice has been made, the row that the arrow is on, highlights what next moves are available. It can be hard to describe, but once you play the game, you will see how easy and how difficult it is at the same time.
The presentation of The Next Arrow is beautiful. I mentioned that before. Even the music, which is created by Philippe Choteau (I don’t know if this is a family member or not.) is very pleasant, and enhances the gaming experience. You actually need the peaceful music that ensues to help balance the frustration of being challenged mentally by such a simple task.
The game is free to play with ads. This is probably the only downside to the game that I see. I wish there were an option to unlock the game and turn off the ads. At least there are no in-app purchases to be found anywhere, so I guess between the two, gamers can’t really complain. The game is integrated with Google Play Game Service with Leaderboards, and five achievements to obtain.
If you are looking for a challenging puzzle game that is rendered with class, look no further than The Next Arrow. Just don’t be upset when your scores are low and the game tells you that your score is bad, ridiculous , or still bad. The only saying I am waiting for next is… are you kidding me? If you are up to the challenge, download The Next Arrow. It won’t cost you a thing.
