It’s odd {that a} match-3 recreation acquired me in my emotions a lot that I’m contemplating including making video games to my career of protecting them. But that’s precisely what occurred after my pleasant time with Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To.
It’s a mouthful of a reputation, however damned if the sport doesn’t do precisely what it says on the tin. There are little colourful block-shaped spirits, and also you swap ‘em round to match three (or extra) whereas charming and calming lo-fi beats bang out of your audio system. It jogs my memory of the latest development in anime the place the titles of exhibits are hyper-descriptive to the purpose of hilarity, and similar to these exhibits, there’s much more occurring than a easy match-3 recreation with a chill soundtrack. And I like it.
In Spirit Swap, you play as Samar, a witch with a stunning technicolor wardrobe who protects the fabric aircraft from mischievous however benign spirits that sometimes cross over and gunk issues up. Throughout the sport, Samar encounters her gaggle of mates, speaking them via their myriad issues by difficult them to spirit-swapping competitions — suppose Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine with a splash of casual discuss remedy.
Swapping is mostly simple however has some fascinating gameplay twists. Spirits can solely be swapped horizontally, which suggests you need to work more durable to swap successfully. The recreation will get much more tough with the addition of highly effective, spirit-clearing spells which are unleashed by arranging spirits in particular patterns. If you continue to discover that too easy, the sport has more durable difficulties and an infinite mode when you’re accomplished with the criminally brief story mode.
While the gameplay scratches my match-3 itch, what I take pleasure in most about Spirit Swap is the characters and their interactions. They’re all sumptuously designed with a wealth of physique shapes, colours, and gender expressions. More than that, they’re all voice-acted, and when Samar and the characters discuss to one another, they really sound like actual people having actual conversations. When Samar comforts her good friend Mo due to her latest breakup, the best way they discuss to one another sounds precisely like one thing I’d say and the way I’d say it.
And for what seems to be like a comparatively lighthearted match-3 recreation, the builders have stuffed Spirit Swap with social conditions which are shockingly relatable. One character laments that due to their pure generosity, their good friend group continually leans on them for assist whereas by no means asking in the event that they need assistance. Another is perceived as quiet and standoffish however reveals themself to be surprisingly deep. (When Samar asks the place that depth comes from, they primarily reply: “Nobody’s actually requested me.” Which, rattling, I felt that in my spirit.) Even the issues that aren’t instantly relatable are nonetheless enjoyable to expertise. I love that each time you win a match, you’re congratulated with the Arabic endearment “Ya Habibi!”
All these particulars coalesced to make me really feel good — not nearly enjoying Spirit Swap however about video games usually. It’s brief, enjoyable, candy, creative, private, and humorous. And it’s the form of recreation that makes me need to make a recreation myself.
Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats To Match-3 To is out now on Steam and Xbox.
