Not all games have to be quick-twitch, edge-of-your-seat rollercoasters. Some can be meditative. They’re played for relaxation, a way to keep the mind in a flow state of energized focus.
“Patterned” on Apple Arcade is one of these titles that captures this feeling. It’s a simple game, in which players pick a tiled pattern and try to piece it together. At first, the design is black and white, but players add life to the image by adding colored tiles in just the right place. It’s like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Players look at a piece and try to match it to the right place on the board. Each puzzle doesn’t take too long and the result is a satisfying image. What’s better is that players can download the picture and use it as an iPhone wallpaper.
Accentuating the experience is a calming score by Chris Bartels. The tunes work perfectly with the gameplay to create a mellow mood.
For those who want to work on puzzles with friends, “Patterned” supports a multiplayer mode. It’s a turn-by-turn approach as one player places a piece and the second player follows suit.
Time commitment: Each level can be finished in five minutes, but honestly, the game takes as long as you allow it to. The developer, BorderLeap, smartly removes any time limit. Players can take their time or speed run (why?) through the game’s 485 puzzles.
