Critical Play: Dots & Cat Condo
I chose to play Dots and Cat Condo, two “match three” games.
In Dots, the goal is connect as many dots of the same color as you can. The more you connect, the more points you get. There are also special connections that you can create that perform a special action. For example, connecting four blue dots in a square can get rid of all blue dots.
In Cat Condo, players drag a cat over to an identical cat to “combine” them into another type of cat. Each time you combine a single type of cat for the first time, you unlock a new type of cat.
Both games are emphasize their respective themes in their designs. Dots is as simplistic as its name, consisting primarily of white icons in solid circles. Through the game’s minimalistic UI, Dots give off a very relaxing feeling to it. I felt like I could take my time as I played the game (especially since I wasn’t playing the timed version). I could easily imagine myself gravitating to this game if I needed something calming to pass the time not only because of its simple design, but also because the game itself is easy enough that I can aimlessly play while also involving enough strategy to allow me to engage more if I want to. Additionally, the game felt more “mature.”
On the other hand, Cat Condo, with its more vibrant colors and more lively designs, felt more “childish.” Since the actual game at its core is relatively simple compared to that of Dots, it was clear to me that Cat Condo relied on its graphics and visuals to deliver its entertainment, which makes sense since it seems to be targeted towards children. However, despite the simplicity of the game itself, I wouldn’t consider it to be a game I would play when I want to relax. The bright graphics, numerous buttons, and constant animation of coins above each cat has my eyes darting all around the screen.
