Think dominoes are boring? Think again. Pixelated Time’s MaxDominator (out now, $0.99) is a clever puzzler that fuses the tile-matching gameplay of dominoes with the quick-fire action of Tetris to incredibly exciting, compelling effect.
Your main objective in MaxDominator is to earn a high score by matching same-numbered dominoes and clearing them from play. As domino tiles tumble down the screen, it’s up to you to quickly rotate and position them so that their connected ends match. Matching two or three tiles at a time nets you a few points, but the trick to scoring big is thinking multiple moves ahead and arranging tiles in such a way that triggers a massive ‘chain reaction’ of matches. There’s a surprising amount of strategizing involved in getting a good score in MaxDominator, and the game only gets more fun the better you get at it.
MaxDominator features 2 distinct gameplay modes: Sprint and Marathon. The first is a quick-fire affair in which you attempt to get a high score with a set number of dominoes (28 or 55), whereas the second is a Tetris-esque deal that only ends when the screen fills up with dominoes and you can no longer make a move. Each of these modes can be played at Norm or Max difficulty.
As you can see in the screenshots above and trailer below, MaxDominator boasts a very clean and minimal visual style. Personally I really like it, but there’s a chance some players may find the game’s overall look and feel to be a little too uniform and lacking in flair. One aspect of MaxDominator that isn’t likely to disappoint anyone, though, is its wonderfully energetic EDM soundtrack, which provides a perfect accompaniment to the gameplay.
Verdict
MaxDominator is a wonderfully clever and compelling combination of dominoes and Tetris. The game is perhaps a little lacking in the visual flair department, but it more than makes up for that with excitingly cerebral gameplay and a very generous amount of content. Well worth the $0.99 asking price.
