Partyrs Review
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Partyrs Review

Our Review by Jordan Minor on September 22nd, 2014
Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: LIFE OF THE PARTY
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Partyrs makes party planning as fun as partying itself.

Developer: Shelly Alon
Price: $1.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPad Air

Graphics / Sound Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
Controls Rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar
Gameplay Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
Replay Value Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar

Overall Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar

Great mechanics are a fundamental part of what makes a great puzzle game; that much is obvious. But sometimes, the metaphor a game chooses to wrap those mechanics in is also a key part of its success. Partyrs present its clever puzzles in a way that makes party planning look as fun as partying itself.

A group of people are at a party, but not everyone is happy. It’s a relatable scenario, and in Partyrs it’s the player’s job to keep the social gears turning. Like Sims characters, each guest is driven by some kind of desire or turn-off. Some people want to hear music, others want to get closer to the food, and some just want to stay far away from the gross old dude. The goal is to swap and rearrange the guests in a way that satisfies all their demands. Some guests have signs spelling out their needs, while others have more abstract wants players must interpret from the visuals. Of course the obviously drunk guy wants to be near the beer and no duh the cat wants to steer clear of the dog. The cute, minimal, and iconic designs of the characters also make this analysis fun in its own right.

Partyrs never strays too far from that core concept the further players progress. However, as players leave the living room for parties in the forest or even outer space, the game slowly but surely introduces some new ideas. Players only have a limited number of swaps to complete each puzzle, but some stages also throw in a time limit that ratchets up the tension. Other later levels feature mine carts full of desirable goods, like gold, that players can move around the grid at will. This opens up placement strategies while also making them more complex. However, most of the game’s stages - even the numerous unlockable ones - never get too difficult or even that varied. That and the pastel palette suggest these brainteasers are best-suited to precocious kids, which is something the game itself even suggests.

Partyrs isn’t about being the life of the party, it’s about giving life to the party. And if altruism isn’t enough, it makes players feel really smart while doing it, too.

iPhone Screenshots

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Partyrs screenshot 1 Partyrs screenshot 2 Partyrs screenshot 3 Partyrs screenshot 4 Partyrs screenshot 5

iPad Screenshots

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Partyrs screenshot 6 Partyrs screenshot 7 Partyrs screenshot 8 Partyrs screenshot 9 Partyrs screenshot 10
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