Let me be clear first. I usually cross out the words "love elimination" when I see them. You know, the screen-full of recharge pop-ups and physical limitations are just like clocking in at work. But I came across this game on a resource site somewhere in the corner. It's free and has no in-app purchases. The developer is a small workshop in Shenyang, and I immediately became interested.
After playing it, I found that it actually made the leveling and elimination gameplay quite natural. Each level you pass increases your level of cultivation, from Qi training to foundation building to golden elixir. Although it is essentially just a fancy rank name, combined with the ink-style vertical paintings, it actually feels like a "reclusive practice" immersion. The level design is also perfunctory. The early stage is teaching, and in the middle and late stages, you start to play tricks, such as limiting the number of steps, linking obstacles, and breaking the terrain. It is more than one level better than those brainless three-skin reskin games.
The two off-field props are designed to be very restrained. They are not the kind of tricks that force you to get stuck if you don't spend money. They are more like a good intention of "helping you if you are really weak". I was stuck in a frozen level for three days and relied on a prop to make a comeback. At that moment, I was a little touched, like a roadside stall owner giving you an extra sausage.
Of course, there are also disadvantages. The style of painting is healing, but the UI is a bit earthy, the BGM gets boring after repeated cycles, and there are occasional small bugs. But considering it's free, uncensored, and has a bit of the gritty sincerity of an indie game, it's a rarity these days. If you are tired of those "big productions" that always ask you to recruit friends to help and provide limited-time gift packages, you might as well try this. Anyway, it's not a loss, just support small domestic factories. 😌