Joseph Powell

Hook is a perfect example of an indie game done right: a single, focused idea, with clean execution. At first blush, Hook seems like a digital version of those Cracker Barrel puzzles, the ones where you’re trying to get the metal ring off of some horseshoes fused together; virtual pins interlock on your screen, and you must remove them in the correct order to clear the challenge and advance. A pin is wired to a button, and pressing the button removes the pin. If the pin is blocked, you restart the challenge. Success is achieved by adjusting the wiring between button presses, so that the retract signal only goes to the desired pin.

The gameplay is simple and intuitive, allowing the design to shine. The artwork is clean and minimalist; the animation, delightful. The motion is smooth, the sounds are pleasant, and the board cleans itself as you remove elements.

Wiring diagram of one of the puzzles in Hook — The black button sends the retract signal to the pins. The switches can be rotated by clicking on them, which directs the signal to the desired pins. Pushing the button as it’s currently wired will fail the challenge.

While the puzzles increase in complexity, it ultimately all boils down to finding the first pin, and keeping your wiring clean. I completed most of the challenges in one go, but there were several where I didn’t fully trace my wiring and had to reset a few times. I completed all fifty puzzles in just under an hour, but your mileage may vary.

In all, it was a pretty satisfying experience. I’m looking forward to letting my kids try and puzzle through it. It’s a great introduction to logic gates and switches, so it’s decently STEMmy without needing any reading skills.

It’s selling for $0.99 on Steam, about the price of a candy bar. Skip the candy bar, and give it a try.

See you next week!

Back in the day, I did a short stint as a video games journalist for a fledgling site started by a friend of mine, who I met at a now vanished brick-and-mortar video game shop. The gig exposed me to a number of indie developers, trying to get noticed in an evolving landscape. Steam had made it possible to get their games listed and distributed without the cost and risk of producing physical inventory, and hoping that GameStop would carry your product. Some of these games were really good, and some of them were rubbish. Being a gamer on a budget (a wife, kid, and mortgage put some limits on game spending), it occurred to me that a review site for inexpensive games would be really helpful.

So, I started a column called “Diamonds in the Rough,” where I would review a game from Steam’s bargain bin, talk about it’s good, bad, and other bits. The rules were that the game had to cost $5 or less, so that, if the game was good, you could skip a latte, a bag of chips, or one and a half Chalupas (yeah, Taco Bell, I see you goosing up your prices), and instead enjoy a couple hours of fun out of a game you might not have heard of otherwise.

Life happened pretty hard not long after that. I had a health emergency. Somewhat connected to that, I ended up changing jobs. My journalism lapsed, and to this day my readers await the third and final installment of my coverage of the brand new TooManyGames convention. Their anticipation haunts me still.

But I’m in a good place now, and the independent game development community has blossomed. Humble Bundles make it possible to stretch your gaming dollars ever farther than before, while Steam and GOG.com regularly provide deep discounts on games. There are all kinds of ways to spend your money on games, and I’d like to provide whatever assistance I can in picking games that you’ll like.

And if the game is no good, you can always get a snack instead 🙂

Author: Joseph Powell

#1 – Hook by Maciej Targoni

Welcome to Snack Money Games!