Cuts review - A clever but frustrating minimalist puzzler

From the overlapping shapes of voi to the Escher-esque levels of hocus, Gamebra.in's titles have all shared similar aspects.

Mainly a simple concept explored through a minimalist design. Cuts follows that formula as well, delivering an interesting concept hindered by some frustrating issues.

Cuts' premise is simple - the game's stages consist of art drawn with a single line, and you have to guide said line to slice the drawing into similar sized sections.

As close to perfectly equal halves, thirds, and so on is your ultimate goal, a task that grows harder as the drawing become larger and more complex.

With taps, you guide the coloured head of the line around the screen, unraveling and unfurling the drawings until you're in a position to slice.

The need to avoid your line's bodies feels reminsicent of Snake, imbuing the puzzles with a focus on patience as you deform each level's art.

A crooked line

That core mechanic remains innovative throughout, but its execution doesn't quite match its ambitions.

Despite introducing elements like multiple slicing dots and the need to slice into 3, 4, or more parts, these additions never feel significant enough to keep Cuts from getting repetitive.

Slicing precisely can often feel more like trial and error than skill. The fact that you're meant to try and slice the lines into perfectly equal pieces, complete with percentage counters showing exactly how similar each each section is, can make attempts quite frustrating for those seeking the best scores.

Gameplay aside, Cuts' presentation is one of its biggest strengths. Every level is a artful line drawing sketched into existence on-screen, each one forming with a stylish flourish.

However, style and uniqueness can't rectify Cuts' more frustrating design choices.