CS247G Critical Play — Dots
For my critical play, I played Dots, a popular free mobile game. The game is centered around connecting a series of adjacent dots on the screen to gain points. While there are countless puzzle games that are very similar, this one sets itself apart with its extreme simplicity and minimalism. From the very start of the game, you are presented only with dots and occasional quotes. There is no shading and no outlines; just circular shapes and straight lines to illustrate the true necessities of the game. There seems to be nothing that distracts from the dots, with no ads or long splash screens that could draw attention away from its simple form.
Dots has several different game modes, giving players different options on how they want to enjoy the game. For example, the feeling of thinking carefully about which dots to connect in “moves” mode is quite different from the relatively fast paced “timed” mode. The game also contains achievements you can unlock overtime, giving players more tasks to enjoy when replaying the game. Sticking to the theme, each achievement is represented by a circular emblem.
The simple theme makes the experience of playing the game very relaxing, as the game mechanics themselves are simple, and are paired with the very minimalistic visual design. If you like to play games with sound, the act of connecting dots and clearing them makes a simple but effective popping sound. In a world with so many distractions, there is something oddly satisfying about focusing on nothing but a few simple colors and shapes.
