Oxyd was a game that I only recently rediscovered. I had played it many, many years ago on a computer who-knows-where, and I promptly forgot the name.
Fast forward ten years, and here I am. Through random chance I encountered a review of this game, and I made a mental connection between the review and the game that I had played so many years back. I sat down and played it again, wondering at its addicting simplicity.
So, an overview: Oxyd is a game about making matches.
You are a marble and you have to bump into blocks to match them. Like the game "Memory", if you check the color of a box and it is not the same as the one already open, they both close. Match them all, and you win the level.
It's simple in principle, but it goes on from there. Sometimes you have two balls that you control. Sometimes there are traps that you must navigate. Every level is a spacial logic puzzle that you have to figure out to continue. Should I move this block here? How can I open that door? Sometimes things are hidden, but often a clue will give you a hint. You can even play with lasers, activating matching boxes from long distance.
The graphics are
simple two-dimensional sprites, and can get a little repetitive at times. However, the puzzles themselves are always complex and original, with new elements being introduced at a slow pace.
There's some hooey story about you saving a space colony or something, but you can ignore that to get right to the puzzles. This is not a story driven game - rather, it's like solitaire, only more addicting.
Which brings me to that: if you play this game, you will probably get addicted (until you run out of levels, but there are plenty of sequels to keep you busy!) Don't play this right before a due date for anything; I made that mistake and paid for it with my sleep. For something so simple, it's surprising how addicting it is.
The only other thing I would like to mention is the interface. You move the marble with your mouse onto all sorts of different ground textures. This makes it feel almost like the marble is an extension of the mouse. It feels very natural, and you'll get used to it quickly, but be sure to leave plenty of room for your mouse to move around: you don't want to run out of space right in front of a pit!
All in all, it was a charm that I was able to rediscover this old puzzle game after years of forgetting. Would I recommend it? Well, yes. If you like solving physical puzzles and figuring out complicated situations and timings, this game will be good for you.
