Jellies! is a match-3 style game for iOS from Russian indie-developers 52 Hertz Whale. One day while out fishing Bob falls asleep and wakes up to find his fingers have been bitten off by wicked jellies. Naturally it’s up to you to help Bob in his adventure to get them back.
The core game gives you 60-seconds to catch as many jellies as possible. This is done by connecting two or more jellies of the same colour. If you manage to create a loop back to your first jelly then you are awarded double the score. Bonus score is awarded if you can catch jellies within a loop. Missions are available which help teach you some of the more advanced techniques of the game.
Catching the jellies is made more difficult because they constantly move around the screen. They randomly swim back and forth which means you need to have quick reflexes and think fast in order to do well. It’s not possible to connect jellies if there is a different coloured one blocking your path.
There are power-ups on offer to help you maximise your score. Electroshock temporarily stuns all the jellies on the screen making it easier to catch them. Bombs allow you to detonate one of the jellies to destroy it and those in close vicinity. Berserker allows you to simply slice through as many jellies as you can for a short time. At the end of your 60-seconds you can also activate extra-time if you have any available.
To help keep stocked up on power-ups the game features in-app purchases. These can be used to purchase coin packs in order to buy power-up packs. Coin packs start at £0.69 for 5,000 up to £6.99 for 250,000. These can then be turned in for packs of five power-ups. Coins are also earned through play by catching jellies and completing missions.
Extra time can be bought through in-app purchases and you can also earn some by posting about the game on Twitter or Facebook.
The game features an in-game social network called InstaBob to track Bob’s progress. It’s presented in a map a bit like you see in games such as Candy Crush Saga. As Bob progresses he posts status updates and pictures.
If you enjoy the game there is also an endless mode which you can unlock in one of two ways. The first is to pay an extra £0.69 but you can also get it for free. Unlocking it for free is done by simply inviting your Facebook friends to play. Once two friends join then you get the endless mode. This mode is a much more relaxing way to play the game. In the future a new Battle mode is also promised.
Graphically the game is simple but the style suits it perfectly and it looks lovely. The presentation is wonderful and even the menus look fantastic. The sound deserves a special mention with a catchy soundtrack created in collaboration with Acid Pop. There is also some great voice acting that will have you smiling.
Jellies! is great for short play-sessions but be warned it can get very addicitive. If you enjoy match-3 style games but fancy something a little different then you should definitely give Jellies! a try.
Jellies! is available now from the iTunes App Store priced at £1.49.
