Gunpowder is a casual puzzler with an explosive twist. Originally designed for touch screens it works equally well with a mouse, as we’ve discovered with so many games.
A simple premise hides some interesting depth.
Gunpowder and Gameplay
At base you draw a line of gunpowder from barrel to barrel then ignite it to blow up safes housing money unfairly taken from the common folk. Different additions arise throughout the game in the form of obstacles and barrels which you can place. As with many puzzlers the difficulty slowly ramps up over time.
Multiple layers of difficulty make several of the later maps quite fun.
Surprising Depth from Gunpowder
To be brutally honest with you puzzlers are not our favorite genre here. The same goes for mobile translations. However the game gains some surprising depth when elevation, water features and more obstacles come into play.
Barrel placement adds another level of strategy to the game.
What starts out as an overwhelmingly simple game becomes much more difficult. Getting a perfect or nearly perfect score is something for seasoned puzzle fans in the later levels. Limited power, cannons and much more also spice it up.
Not our favorite thing about any game.
“Skip Level” Options in Gunpowder
Only one part of the game really bothered us. It has a “Skip Level” option that lets you simply bypass a level. You won’t be able to earn any achievements from it but you will progress in the game. Other titles like Mortal Kombat X also use this but we don’t approve. It shouldn’t be an option even in casual games.
Achievements and other rewards give the game replay value.
Fortunately the game has many trophies and achievements for those who want the full experience. We would suggest not skipping any of the levels because you won’t get the full experience otherwise.
The Art and Music of Gunpowder
A simple 2D style is used for much of the artwork with a 3D setting for the actual gameplay. While the graphics are simple they are also quite clean and polished. The comic strip format is also quite charming; it gives it the little extra touch this game needs.
Well-drawn comic sequences break up the action.
As for the music it has a heroic “Wild West” flair to it (with hints of Mexican folk songs). It’s fitting for the overall tone of the game as you might expect.
Several of the levels are quite pretty even on the 3D end.
4/5 Great: For those who love the casual genre the game runs exceptionally well and has a huge amount of content for you to explore. Unfortunately the game lacks innovation, with everything it does having been done in the much earlier “Incredible Machine”. Still, it’s a polished and impressive title for any casual puzzle fan. If you enjoy this genre be sure to check it out on Steam.
