Frogblock review - "A charmingly simple puzzle adventure"

• Challenging puzzles
• Calming visuals and soundtrack
• No hint system

Frogblock is a new puzzle experience in which altering your perspective is crucial to success. You play as a cute little frog that must manoeuvre through block-based levels by changing your point of view. Your little frog can’t jump across gaps, so you’ll need to rotate levels to unlock new pathways. You’ll hop your way through challenging levels, collecting yummy tomatoes, blocks, and glowing orbs along the way.

Frogblock Challenges You to Change Your Perspective

Gameplay is reminiscent of Aarik and the Ruined Kingdom: the key mechanic involves altering your view of the environment to make new connections. You move your little frog across block paths using the virtual joystick at the bottom of the screen and slide your finger across the screen to change your view.

To finish a level, you must swallow a glowing orb by swatting it with your tongue. You can lengthen your frog’s tongue by collecting tomatoes, allowing you to reach objects from further away. You can pick up items like blocks, orbs, and food by either tapping on the item or tapping in the direction of the item while facing it.

Sometimes you’ll come across blocks along the path that can be picked up and moved to unlock new routes. Your avatar will hold a block in its mouth until you place it.  After placing a block on the path, you can rotate the view to make it accessible.

Frogblock Features a Lovely Aesthetic

There isn’t much of a story in this little puzzle adventure. You’re an adorable amphibian who frees a bug from a locked chest. However, in doing so, you release a bunch of glowing orbs, which your new insect friend suggests you collect, and that’s pretty much it. Luckily, the gorgeous levels and difficult levels more than hold up on their own.

It utilises a harmonious colour palette with an emphasis on tranquil blue and green tones. The beautiful environments, combined with a soothing soundtrack, create a zen-like atmosphere. You’ll explore rocky paths and enjoy the beauty of the lily pads and other flora that decorate the placid waters around you.

Frogblock provides a surprisingly challenging gameplay experience. Though the concept is simple, it can be tricky to unlock new paths as you’ll sometimes need to rotate your view from a specific area in order to connect blocks. You’ll also need to collect and move blocks to create new routes, all while hopping about a variety of tranquil landscapes.

Frogblock Lacks a Hint System

Unfortunately, Frogblock completely forgoes a hint system, an important staple of the puzzle genre. If you find yourself stuck on a particularly challenging level, there’s no way to progress until you figure it out on your own. This can be really frustrating as you can find yourself stuck for quite some time.

Frogblock is a simple yet surprisingly challenging mobile puzzler. Featuring a calming soundtrack and a peaceful aesthetic that utilises a harmonious colour scheme, this charming little adventure presents enticing puzzles that will thoroughly test your problem-solving skills.

The lack of a hint system is a real bummer, especially since there are some particularly challenging levels. Overall, however, the scenic environments, perspective-based puzzles, and our adorable frog protagonist make for a hopping good time.