To be honest, the mobile game market has changed a lot in recent years. I still remember when I first played "Diamond Love" on the Nokia N73. The screen didn't even have touch controls. It relied entirely on physical button presses, and I could still be addicted to it for several hours. Nowadays, every game on mobile phones has 4K image quality and open world, which sometimes makes me feel a bit dazzled.
I was browsing the app store a few days ago and came across a small game called "BBQ Sorting Puzzle". The developer is Shenzhen Yunbu Interactive Entertainment. It is free and has no in-app purchases. To be honest, I didn't take it seriously at first glance. I thought it was the kind of match-3 game that you just change your skin. As a result, I couldn't stop playing the game - the core mechanism is very pure, which is to classify the ingredients on the bamboo sticks. Only the same type can be moved, and finally they are concentrated on one stick. Not to brag, this minimalist sorting gameplay reminds me of those Japanese puzzle games on Symbian back then. The logic is clear and the rules are simple, but the more you play, the more addictive you become.
Nowadays, many major companies are working on the so-called "open world" and "metaverse". A game can easily cost tens of gigabytes, but I think the essence of mobile games is actually a pastime in fragmented time. If you look at "BBQ Sorting Puzzle", you can operate it with one finger, and it takes a few minutes to play. You can pause and start again at any time. There is no learning cost at all. This kind of lightweight game that returns to the core gameplay is becoming more and more popular among players. I think this just shows that the market is becoming more rational.
In addition, when chatting with friends, I also mentioned that many players are now aesthetically tired. After understanding the routine behind "Gan Krypton Card Drawing", they miss pure puzzle games even more. Classic modes like Tetris and Bubble Bobble can still be popular if you put old wine in new bottles. Although the name of this "BBQ Sorting Puzzle" is a bit strange, the gameplay is well polished and the difficulty curve is quite reasonable. Some levels in the later stages can really make you stuck for a long time.
To be fair, the mobile game industry has now passed the stage of barbaric growth. Small games like this with zero payment, zero advertising, and purely relying on content to attract people have brought a bit of fresh air to the entire industry. If you are tired of checking in online every day and doing your daily routine, you might as well try this little game and find the simple happiness you had when you first cleared the level on your mobile phone😎.