Chuzzle PC

Paul Govan's review of Chuzzle. Subscribe to this column via RSS or Newsletter.

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Column:
Family Gamer

Format:
PC

Genre:
Minigames

Written on:
17/02/2009

Further reading:
Family Gaming Awards

Chuzzle is a cute and addictive connect 3 style puzzle game that managed to stealthily work its way into my gaming time. Looking like a retro-style Bejewelled clone, it might lack the depth of Popcap's other casual games but it has a personality that kept me playing for far longer than I thought I would. The cute Chuzzles not only held my attention but also my family's and as casual puzzle games go, this is one of the best.

Popcap continue to be the big daddy of the casual game market with releases such as Peggle Nights and Bejewelled 2 dominating the play-space for five minute fixes. But Chuzzle is also a game that deserves just as much attention. Similar to Bejewelled, the goal is to move lines of ‘Chuzzles' vertically or horizontally until you can match three or more. When that happens a satisfying plink occurs (legally required in all Popcap games) and the eyes of these Chuzzles get transferred into the flask on the left of the screen. Once you've filled that flask the level ends and points are awarded accordingly. A simple idea that is satisfying and addictive - especially if you're trying to work at the same time.

Although Chuzzle doesn't have the depth of a Bejewelled or Puzzle Quest it does have a secret weapon with its cuteness. The Chuzzles themselves squeak and yell whilst they're being collected up and are just the right kind of silly little fluffy balls which lend a game like this the personality so many other similar titles lack. My toddler finds this game simply hilarious to look at and I actually found it a really good way of getting him to distinguish different colours and learning to count up all the Chuzzles in a row. It's a slightly different learning system than Sesame Street but it seems to work quite well!

The learning process doesn't stop there either. I'd always stayed away from the deeper experience of a game like Puzzle Quest but after spending a little time on Chuzzle it helped me graduate to appreciate the intricacies of the genre. Now, thanks to the cute squeaky balls of fluff, my productivity has gone down but my match-3 ability has gone through the roof.

With glitzy visuals and a progressive and mellow disco soundtrack, Chuzzle is an excellent introduction to the puzzle genre and well worth a look for the whole family.

Thanks for reading the reivew, visit our Family Gaming Awards - the best games for the different people in your family.

Written by Paul Govan

Paul Govan writes the Family Gamer column. "I write family video game reviews. I want to play games with friends and family in the same place, as well as enjoy sharing the experience with my wife and kids. But as well as these there are precious late night gaming moments to fill. Throughout, time is of the essence."

Paul Govan's recent reviews:

• Fossil Fighters
• Wii-Sports Resort Tips
• Transformers: War for Cybertron
• Crackdown 2

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