It's quite interesting to talk about. I recently posted on Qitan Dimension and saw a lot of people discussing the game “Huarong Dao Classic Breakthrough”. I wonder if this is not something I used to play badly on a handheld console when I was a kid? Why is it popping up again now? And the download volume is quite strong. As a rational reviewer, I have to say that it's not unreasonable for this game to be popular, but don't brag about it as a masterpiece.
Let's talk about the screen first. This game follows a minimalist style, and the UI is clean to a bit simple. The red squares, wooden chassis, and small digital balls really have no visual impact at first glance. But to be honest, for a pure puzzle game like Huarongdao, the bells and whistles would get in the way. It achieves the two basic points of "clearness" and "non-interference", which I think is enough. If you want to compare it with the graphics of Genshin Impact, it's just an argument, and the positioning is completely different.
The gameplay is the core competitiveness of this game. Huarong Dao itself has ever-changing puzzle logic, and this one makes the difficulty gradient quite comfortable. The first few levels allow novices to regain their confidence, while the following dozens of levels can also make puzzle-solving veterans scratch their heads. And it is not only Huarong Road, but also has a mini game of "Ball Bounce", which combines digital squares and marble shooting, which is equivalent to buying one and getting one free. This addition is not clever, but it does increase playability. I tried it for half an hour and passed more than a dozen levels before I knew it. The instant release feeling of "the red cube finally ran out" is still the same as before.
As for krypton gold, this game has 0 charges and is completely free. I scrolled through it, and there is no such disgusting forced advertisement pop-up window. At most, there is a rewarded video for you to watch the advertisement in exchange for prompts. I must give this a thumbs up. There are too many puzzle games on the market that claim to be free. But when you reach the fifth level, they start asking you to pay 6 yuan to unlock the game. If you don't pay, you will be stuck. Huarongdao Classic Breakthrough did not do this, which shows that the developer still has some conscience. Even if it adds in-app purchases in the future, I think it's acceptable as long as it doesn't destroy the core gameplay.
In terms of social interaction, this game is basically stand-alone. There is no friend ranking, and there is no online battle. But this type of puzzle game does not require social interaction. Solving puzzles quietly alone is the correct solution. If you insist on socializing, you can only take screenshots and send them to Moments to show how many times you have passed the game. However, there is a small regret. The game does not have community sharing level or challenge code functions, otherwise the interactivity would be stronger.
Let's talk about what many people are asking: “Why is it so popular?” or “Will it be cool?” I think the reasons for its popularity are very simple: firstly, the classic gameplay has its own user base. The name Huarongdao has been recognized since ancient times. Middle-aged people are nostalgic and young people are curious; secondly, the current casual game market is confused by ultra-casual and numerical development. Pure puzzles that do not cost money and are not hard-working have become scarce. And the possibility of it being cool is relatively low, because this kind of game is a "long-tail" game. You can open it and play a level anytime and anywhere, and there is no problem of not being able to keep up with version updates or numerical expansion and collapse. Unless one day humans suddenly no longer know how to swipe, it will always live in the corner of your phone.
Of course, there are also shortcomings to be mentioned. The sound design is relatively monotonous, and there is basically no background music. After playing for a long time, my ears feel a little lonely. In addition, although the total number of levels is quite large, the sense of repetition will become more and more obvious in the later period. Some levels are sold as novice levels after changing the initial layout, which is a bit lazy. There is also the small marble game, which feels average and the ballistic judgment is a bit confusing. I suspect it was made by a temporary worker. But considering it's free, these flaws can be tolerated.
I give the overall score 7.5 points. The picture is 6 points, the gameplay is 8 points, the gold is 10 points, and the social interaction is 4 points. Suitable for brain use on the way to and from get off work, when squatting, or lying in bed before going to bed. Don't expect it to give you any earth-shattering experience, but it must be a reliable tool to kill time. If you have been drained of energy by those boring and exciting mobile games recently, you might as well come back and try this most traditional folk puzzle. The red cubes are all trapped and waiting for you to save them, but you are still wondering whether to draw them to get a new character? Haha, young man, it's time to look back. 🧩🟥🎯