With Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To, worker-owned studio Comfortable Not Weak takes the match-3 puzzle style and builds out a visible novel and courting simulator on prime of it, then ties all of it along with a killer lo-fi soundtrack. Every of those elements, independently, are beautiful, however pulled collectively, Spirit Swap has grew to become my consolation puzzle recreation, updating a well-trod style into one thing that’s way more than only a time-killer.
Enjoying as Samar, the spirit-swapping witch, you’ll mingle round city as a gaggle of mates prepares for a highly-anticipated live performance from everybody’s favourite band. In the meantime, spirits are all over the place, and it’s match-3 gameplay that rids ’em from the world. You’ll run from home to enterprise to flirting with mates as you pull the narrative collectively, making choices on what to do and who to this point. Most of those sequences finish with a match-3 session, which is given extra depth as you unlock skills granted by the opposite characters; the principle gameplay requires you to line up spirits into patterns to poof them away, however the skills, for example, permit for brand spanking new patterns or totally different disruptions. Like every good match-3 recreation, Spirit Swap is endlessly replayable; the random components make it so that you’re by no means fairly positive the way it’ll go. Although the lo-fi beats make Spirit Swap undeniably chill, the match-3 components can get fairly chaotic and thrilling.
The place Spirit Swap stands out much more is with its joyful coloration palette and vibrant, numerous, queer solid; the moments earlier than match-3 gameplay aren’t something I need to skip. These are characters I’ve come to like to test in on, even hours into the sport. The dreamy world and its characters are lush and lively. The music, too, is one thing I discover myself craving even once I’m not taking part in. It’s each spooky and chill in the very best methods; the witchy aptitude pairs properly with its beats. (Fortunately for me, the soundtrack by meltycanon is offered on Bandcamp.)
Although the principle Spirit Swap marketing campaign is simply a pair hours price of playtime, there’s extra to do in constructing friendships and relationships even after the live performance has handed. The marketing campaign acts extra as an introduction to the world’s characters, with loads extra dates to observe. You may merely play the match-3 elements, too, if the visible novel isn’t your factor. Once I’m searching for one thing that’s each comforting and equally chaotic, Spirit Swap is the sport I choose up.
