Official Score
Overall - 70%
70%
Find the Balance strikes a balance between the world of Jenga and the world of video games. Its control scheme is not a perfect fit for the job, but those looking for a casual title that allows players to be creative can find it here.
Digital Melody tasks players with making wild and wacky stacks in their new puzzler Find the Balance. Should players seek out a method to the madness, or is this one title that’s not worth building up?
Find the Balance Review
The objective of Find the Balance is simple – players are given a number of oddly shaped objects and must stack them without the whole thing toppling over. Items are certainly out of the ordinary, with Pac-Man shapes, music notes, bowler hats, and pieces of bread rounding out your repertoire. There is a fairly robust physics engine in place here – those that do a slapdash effort will have their work fall into the void, forcing players to do things over once more. Rather, the key to victory comes from careful planning and a dash of ingenuity.
It’s an interesting concept, like a video game version of Jenga. There is a bit more depth and strategy than that classic block game though – players can rotate objects before placing them down, the distance players can place objects can be altered before making the ever-important snip, and there are sometimes blocks already in place that can make things easier (or more difficult) for the player. It’s not overly complex – most players will grasp the basic concept in minutes – but what is here is solid enough. Just be warned that the control setup is cumbersome – utilizing the WASD keys, alt button, space bar, and bracket buttons does not work as well as you would expect it to.
To get through Find the Balance’s 88 stages, players must make these stacks while being mindful of the time. Quick hands net more stars, and though trial and error trumps all, expect successful runs of each level to run for less than 30 seconds. Those who get stuck are in luck though, as a “Suggested Solution” hint is available after failing three times. It is completely optional, and there is no penalty for using it, so those who need a little extra guidance can use it if necessary. Don’t consider it a spoiler though – most puzzles have more than one way to complete them.
Though the 88 puzzles in the main mode go fairly quickly there are a number of other options to keep you busy in Find the Balance. 51 “Stars” levels have been included, which have players stacking items to fill in star shapes in the world. It offers a bit of meat, and it forces players to think about its world a little bit differently. There is also a mode called “Auto Fall,” which features endlessly falling items, and “Endless,” which is exactly what it sounds like. These two modes are over much faster than you’d expect them to be, but they are still welcome additions nonetheless.
Those who would like to bring a friend along are in luck too, as there are three options available. “Adding Blocks,” “Speed Stack,” and “Autofall” are more or less extensions of the single player modes, but it still manages to provide an entertaining experience.
Unlockables are also in the game in the form of different objects players can use to cut. Though they are purely aesthetic, they do provide incentive to play well. It’s just a shame that levels can only be unlocked one at a time, as it has got a lot of variety to offer.
Find the Balance strikes a balance between the world of Jenga and the world of video games. Its control scheme is not a perfect fit for the job, but those looking for a casual title that allows players to be creative can find it here.
