Hint may be the most interesting and innovative puzzle game to have come out this year. Developed by HexaNeph Games, it sees players not only solving puzzles but also working out what the rules of those puzzles are. Each stage is a unique challenge.
But it’s not just a puzzler. It’s also a contest, with each of its players automatically in the running to find the hidden ending and win the grand prize.
There were five grand prizes available at launch, and now there are four. An intrepid character by the name of PuzzleTaker has claimed the first one.
So what does the grand prize consist of? We’ll get into that shortly. First we need to explain exactly how Hint works.
The game consists of 27 stages, all of which are technically completable in a few seconds, but in practise will take you (but not PuzzleTaker) up to a trillion years. That’s because they’re incredibly confusing, and the rules keep changing.
Guiding you through the game are two hint-givers: Hex and Neph. You can only take one of them with you, however, so to experience the whole game you’ll need to play it through twice.
It’s well worth doing so because Hexa and Neph have very distinct personalities. They give different clues, too, not all of which are especially helpful.
The stages, meanwhile, come in all shapes and sizes, from extreme lateral thinking exercises to action sequences that call for fast reactions and a steady hand. Some puzzles are almost impossible to work out, and some are so straightforward that you look right past the solutions. Both types are infuriating.
PuzzleTaker has conquered them all, however, and ferreted out the hidden ending, which means they get a place on the credits screen, a spot in the Hidden Ending Club, and – best of all – the opportunity to create a stage of their own.
The result is You’re Not You, a brand new super-challenging stage that’s now available to every player. Those who haven’t beaten the game will encounter it as they progress normally, whereas players who have already beaten the game can access it directly from the Levels menu.
To check it out, download Hint right now on the Google Play Store.
