If the previous games I've played have been out of my comfort zone, Wooga's Jelly Splashis more my kind of thing.
Your brain certainly needs to be in the right place, but the match-3 game isn't complicated to grasp.
It's simple and addictive and reminds me a lot of Candy Crush Saga, though there are, of course, some differences.
Instead of shuffling two sweets in one move, the aim here is to eliminate jellies by strategically building chains of the same colour, either horizontally, vertically and diagonally.
Some of the levels contain dark slime that can only be removed by eliminating the jelly in that particular square while others have diamonds you need to bring to the bottom of the screen.
More difficult levels have trapped jellies that can only be released by becoming attached to jellies of the same colour or by a Jelly Splash, a power move that eliminates all the jellies in a row or column.
There are five different jelly colours and I'm charmed by them. They smile, sometimes opening their eyes to signal they're available for a Jelly Splash, and when you complete a level they start jumping around.
But perhaps the thing I like most with this type of game is I can take my time. It gives me a needed break from hysterically running away from or shooting things.
Day 1
I start with the simple tutorial and some very easy levels. With my last experience of a free-to-play game being Plants vs. Zombies 2, I'm a little concerned that the levels are suddenly going to turn almost impossible to complete without me buying more resources, but to my relief it doesn't happen.
At first I easily get enough points to earn the highest three stars reward in every level. But soon I start struggling and when I only get one or two stars I strongly feel my motivation to do better rising.
By the end of the first world, I come to a level that I fail for the first time. It's one of those where a couple of jellies are trapped in bubbles. This is a good indication that the level of difficulty is progressing with sensible speed.
So far I'm enjoying Jelly Splash, and so is my credit card. No money spent during the first day.
Day 3
During the game's second world, I can't manage to get three stars in any of the levels and I'm not sure whether it's because I'm now playing as a routine, or if the levels have just become more difficult; probably both.
I don't fail too frequently but I'm certainly close to the edge, almost all the time. I have, however, discovered that when I fail a level a few times, it becomes significantly easier the next time I play.
I'm pretty sure this it's not down to me figuring out the specific strategy required for those levels: I still have no clue how I managed some of them. Instead it appears to be a pattern where the levels suddenly become so easy I can't fail. Perhaps this is to maintain my interest. I don't know, but I find it rather odd.
Jelly Splash using a similar friend ranking system to King's Saga games if you log into Facebook
Anyway, I complete the second world of palm trees on my Jelly Splash journey and say hello to Christmas trees and snowmen in the next stage.
Still no pennies spent....
Day 5
I'm sure it's not just a matter of motivation; the new levels are a lot more frustrating.
One reasons is an obstacle that looks like a rotten one-eyed mushroom that spread like a parasite over the squares and erase my jellies. They disappear if I eliminate the jellies in squares next to them.
The problem with the little buggers is that I quickly run out of space, and space is exactly what I need to achieve Jelly Splashes, which I'll keep needing the harder the game gets. Although irritating, it's a clever progression.
However, I'm also busy being distracted by another strange pattern I've discovered.
As levels get harder, I sometimes stumble upon a scenario in which none of the jellies can be matched to each other, so in less than a second a random jelly suddenly changes colour. What Candy Crush Saga repairs with a complete reshuffle of the board, Jelly Splash does by changing the colour of one of the jellies.
This can be rather annoying, of course, especially if you have a plan whereby you might have needed that colour of jelly later on.
It has also become obvious that sometimes I can't complete a level in any possible way. It seems like I've reached the point where I'm supposed to have fallen so deeply for the game that I'm willing to spend money.
This is encouraged as when I run out of lives, I'm asked to request more from my Facebook friends or buy them. I decided before downloading the game that I was going to spend some money just to see whether it would add to my enjoyment.
I decide to go for the cheapest option. I get 140 gold for £1.49 ($1.99), of which I immediately spend 70 to unlock the fourth world.
In line with what I predicted, I manage to get through just one level before I run out of lives. I'm patient and wait until they're replenished and as expected, this time around, the level is noticeably easier. I go through a couple of more levels but the game is now starting to feel a little repetitive.
Conclusion
Despite the obvious flaws, I enjoyed playing Jelly Splash, but over time, my interest starts to drop.
This is especially the case after it becomes clear to me that failure is sometimes inevitable. I suspect this psychological trick has the purpose of keeping me hooked, and keeping me spending money, but I'm afraid after a while, it has the opposite effect.
In fact, having now played a few free-to-play games, I think the downsides are starting to become more apparent. There's no doubt that they offer enjoyment, but in the end this becomes over shadowed by a more persistent feeling of frustration.
P.S.
After getting stuck on a single level for a couple of days, I eventually deleted Jelly Splash from my iPad mini, not even spending my final 700 coins. What a relief.
There's a strong argument we're too close to the mobile games industry to experience all its nuances. That's the thinking behind our regular columns from the Newbie Mobile Gamer. You can read more here.
