Play Starbeard

Starbeard
by Jolly Good Games Limited
Released: Oct 15
$2.99

Starbeard is a roguelike/match-three mashup starring space gnomes who must defend their gardens from space bugs and other cosmic threats. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but that’s ok because the underlying game is unique and satisfying.

Why you should play it

It’s rare to find a match-three game that doesn’t feel like everything else out there. The major twist here is your character (of which you can unlock nine to choose from) occupies space on the board and can manipulate tiles using special powers. The game intentionally forces you to use these powers, and discovering how they can help you achieve different goals is a pleasure all its own. In addition to a roguelike campaign structure, Starbeard also features a daily challenge that ensures you won’t ever get bored with it.

Why you might not play it

Starbeard’s main weakness is its production values. Backgrounds are mostly plain, solid colors, and the rest of the art direction is fairly basic. The game also doesn’t quite explain its mechanics fully, though that seems to come part and parcel with roguelikes. On the plus side, this means Starbeard is wonderfully kind to your phone battery and never feels overly hand-holdy in the way many other mobile games are.

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