It can be genuinely challenging to find something actually worth highlighting as our game of the week. There are so many garbage knock-off games clogging up the Google Play Store that smaller games that deserve attention get lost in the fray.
Vectronom is one of those games that is likely to fall through the cracks despite being a really challenging and unique rhythm-based puzzle-platformer. You’re going to want a pair of headphones cranked to full volume for this one because following along to the music is key and the visuals will provide an absolute psychedelic trip.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDuV3BGc1Jo?modestbranding=0&html5=1&rel=0&autoplay=0&wmode=opaque&loop=0&controls=1&autohide=0&showinfo=0&theme=dark&color=red&enablejsapi=1]
The game features intuitive controls for controlling your cube that will have you swiping and tapping in rhythm. The levels are constantly changing in sync with the thumping beat of the music, so you’ll need to keep up with the rhythm to avoid falling into traps.
If that sounds too easy or like another mobile game you’ve played (because everyone’s played Geometry Dash, right?), don’t worry. Vectronom manages to ramp up the complexity of the level design as you progress in downright dazzling ways that will challenge both your puzzle-solving and rhythmic abilities.
There are currently 31 levels to play through that track how many attempts it takes you to beat it, whether you collected all the pickups in the level, and how well you stuck to the beat. This gives the game a good amount of replayability without requiring you to retry levels strictly to collect additional stars to unlock new levels.
If staring at flashing colors on your screen sounds like an eyesore to you, you’ll be happy to know there are options for turning down the bombastic hues on-screen, and different palettes are available for people who see colors differently. You can also tweak the player input margin if you feel like the controls need to be tighter or looser, and you can also adjust the music EQ.
This is the first game from Ludopium, an independent studio that was co-produced and published by ARTE Experience and was previously released on Steam and the Nintendo Switch. It’s a paid mobile title that will set you back about $5, which of course means it won’t get the attention and downloads it deserves.
The Android version does not offer the multiplayer modes found on the other platforms, but the developers have said there will be regular updates based on curated user-generated content, which I think requires electronic artists to submit their own music mixes to the game developers to turn into new levels.
I hope that this happens, and that more content is added to this game because it’s so much fun to play.
Game of the week
Vectronom
$5.49 at Google Play Store
Vectronom is a psychedelic puzzle platformer where you’ll need to stick with the beat if you want to succeed and solve each colorful level.
See previous Android Games of the Week
