Why settle for one puzzle game when you can have five? Afil Games has brought together Damways, Magnetail, Split Crystal, Golem Lights and Zoo Orbs in one sizeable bundle, giving Xbox and PC players a chance to pick up the complete collection for £31.74.
The Damways + Magnetail + Split Crystal + Golem Lights + Zoo Orbs Bundle includes all three versions of each game – Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. With each game and version normally priced at £4.19 individually, this is a package aimed squarely at puzzle fans who fancy having plenty of different ideas to work through.
And while all five come from the same publisher and developer, they certainly aren’t five versions of the same puzzle formula. We’d say that the real appeal of the bundle is the variety. Afil Games has taken familiar puzzle concepts and given each one its own little twist, meaning there is plenty of room to jump between games when one particular style starts to wear thin.
Damways
Damways puts you in charge of reshaping rivers by building dams and manipulating the flow of water. The ultimate goal is to create a safe route for a clever beaver, with each puzzle requiring careful positioning and planning.
We gave it 3/5 in our review, noting that its sliding-puzzle concept was clear and well executed, even if it didn’t bring much visual or mechanical spectacle to the table. At £4.19 on its own, we found it a decent little budget puzzler – and it’s now one part of a considerably larger collection.
Magnetail
Magnetail takes the sliding-puzzle idea in another direction, putting magnetism at the heart of its challenges. Attraction and repulsion become your tools as you work through obstacles and try to find the solution.
Our 3/5 review of Magnetail found genuine potential in the concept, although we felt it stopped short of exploring all the possibilities its magnetic mechanics could have offered.
Split Crystal
Things get a little stranger with Split Crystal, where mysterious crystals can divide and interact with one another to create a distinctly unusual take on the sliding-puzzle genre.
Split Crystal scored a rather decent 3.5/5, appreciating how it took a familiar format and pushed it somewhere rather unexpected. If you’re the sort of puzzle player who enjoys finding a solution that doesn’t necessarily feel like the obvious one, this could be one of the bundle’s highlights.
Golem Lights
Golem Lights swaps crystals and magnets for beams of magical light. Players need to direct those beams through increasingly complex arrangements, activating ancient mechanisms and figuring out how everything connects.
It also earned 3.5/5 from us, with the early puzzles standing out as a particularly refreshing idea. We did feel the formula became more familiar as it progressed, but there’s an intriguing puzzle concept here that makes it an interesting inclusion.
Zoo Orbs
Finally, Zoo Orbs brings some colour and adorable animals into proceedings. This one revolves around combining animal orbs and triggering satisfying chains to complete each challenge.
Our 3/5 review of Zoo Orbs on Xbox found it to be an unusual alternative for fans of merge puzzles. Its approach isn’t quite the traditional version of the genre, but that difference could make it particularly appealing to players who have exhausted more familiar merge mechanics.
At A Glance
- Bundle: Damways + Magnetail + Split Crystal + Golem Lights + Zoo Orbs
- Price: £31.74
- Individual Game Price: £4.19 each
- Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
- Games Included: 5
- Developer: Afil Games
- Publisher: Afil Games
- Genre: Puzzle
Is The Afil Games Bundle Worth A Look?
The interesting thing about this collection isn’t that it contains five massive games – it doesn’t. These are compact, budget-friendly puzzle experiences designed around one central idea apiece.
What the bundle does provide is variety. You can manipulate rivers in Damways, play with magnetic forces in Magnetail, experiment with crystals in Split Crystal, redirect magical light in Golem Lights and create animal chain reactions in Zoo Orbs. Yes, they all feel very ‘Afil Games’, but if you’re keen to understand how the publisher works, and wish to grab some easy Gamerscore and achievements in the process, you should fill your boots.
At £31.74 from the Xbox Store, the five-game package is now available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. For puzzle fans who like their games short, affordable and willing to experiment with familiar ideas, Afil Games has certainly put plenty of pieces on the table.
