Imagine a little robot trying to add a bit of color to his life. Now, imagine an entire team of robots helping to solve some extremely difficult puzzles, all in an attempt to fulfill the little robot’s dream. This is what the game “Huebots” is all about, but it is also so much more.
Developed by UMBC’s own Team Huebotics and released on multiple platforms, “Huebots” is a puzzle-solving game. The player can control an entire host of robots, each a different color that can only interact with objects of the same color. The objective is to get the colorless robot on to the next level by using every robot available on the team.
The puzzles in this game range anywhere from fun and easy to challenging and thought-provoking. The goal of each puzzle is to get one particular robot from point A to point B. Each robot can only move one direction at a time and will continue moving until presented with an obstacle, and robots of various colors can only interact with certain obstacles, which adds a level of difficulty not always present in other puzzle-solving games. As the player progresses through the game, new obstacles and challenges are presented, and more allies are added to the team.
Though the designs for each character and setting are relatively simple, there is still a lot to look at in this game. There are tiny details that make each level unique and beautiful all while maintaining a charming simplicity.
At its core, that’s exactly what this game is: charmingly simple. The graphics are never over-the-top or flashy, the character designs are all very cute and memorable without needing too much detail, and the storyline is relatively straight-forward. The background music is appropriately whimsical and robotic, which perfectly matches the appearance of the characters and the aesthetic of the game as a whole.
The real beauty of this game was in just how addicting it was. Every level flowed so perfectly into the next level, adding just the right amount of difficulty without making anything impossible. There were plenty of levels that were unbelievably complicated, but the game never gave off a sense of impossibility. Instead, there was a concept that every member of the team was vital in solving the puzzle, each contributing their own unique abilities.
“Huebots” can be purchased on Steam for the PC, or on mobile devices. Brightly colored yet simply designed, “Huebots” consists of puzzles and multiple levels that build off of one another, creating a game that demands to be played often but not necessarily for hours on end. Overall, this game is charming, addicting and downright fun to play.