Gameplay
Simple concept, match three coloured dinosaur cards to the colour indicated in the background. Very easy to pick up and play; somewhat difficult to master. In terms of a tutorial, when you load the game up you are greeted with a couple of pop-up boxes which explain the main controls and concept of the game. To be honest, this is perfect and is all that is really needed (even the kids managed to grasp the concept and a good technique after a single try).
Using an Xbox controller?
PC gamer? No problem!
It’s as easy as that!
The solo mode sees you facing the clock (and leaderboards) – this is fast-paced, fun and challenging; and sometimes frustrating when you press the wrong colour! I found myself playing a few rounds in between doing other things; it is that easy to pick up and put down. If you want an advantage over the other competitors on the leaderboards (Easy and Regular difficulties) then you can spend your hard earned points on time bonuses; these last until you hit 100 attempts or until you close the game down – this limitation means that when the leaderboards reset after 3 months the newer players still have every opportunity to gain that top spot.
The most challenging difficulty (hardcore) does not allow for time bonuses, but I preferred this experience as I knew that the other gamers were in the exact same position I was, and it was all about speed, recognition and a little luck as to who claimed that top spot (spoiler alert: I am #1 at the moment) – Additionally, there is no reset for the hardcore leaderboards, so you might as well try to knock me off that top spot to claim forever glory.
Hardcore is my favourite; can you tell?
As for the actual gameplay, simply select three ‘cards’ that are the same colour as the background; that’s it. I found using the keyboard was the most effective way – but this was because, at the time of reviewing, the number pad was facing some issues and was not working. I spoke to the developer and he is working on getting this issue fixed though.
I also attempted with the mouse and Xbox controller; the mouse was great, but if you held the left-button in too long and moved the cursor before releasing the button it would not register the click (frustrating when going for speed). However, the Xbox controller was even more difficult, very responsive but too easy to slip away from the desired card you wanted to select – it is safe to say I stuck with my preferred input method of the keyboard.
The Developer
The developer seems very invested with the game and the community which is enjoying it too. The game was developed by a father and son combo; which I personally think is a wonderful thing.
The game is not only designed around competitive leaderboard battles but also for raising money for the charity Special Effect. In fact, 20% of all sales go towards a donation for this charity; not only do you get a great casual game for the price, but you also get to help a fantastic charity too.
UK-based charity; Special Effect
Father-son development team; @Digital_Gamez
There are updates coming for the game; as I said, the developer is working on the number pad issue, but he is also adding in D-pad support as well due to requests from the community. He is very responsive on Twitter under the handle @Digital_Gamez and welcomes all feedback. I think there may be big things coming in the future too with the possibility of ID@Xbox (fingers crossed).
This game was his first ever released game, he is self-taught and is somewhat a perfectionist – so, any issues with the game reach out on that Twitter handle. After speaking to him quite a lot recently, it has come to my attention he is very interested in paving the way for the next generation of game developers too.
Multiplayer
This type of game would not usually be recognised as a multiplayer game, maybe taking it in turns to see who can get the better score. Well, the developer decided there should be more to the game than just passing the controller and hoping for the best; in comes Match’em Dino’em Battle Mode.
Quick run-down of how to play
Awesome visuals for the attack!
Of course, Player 1 always wins!
I haven’t spent as much time in this mode as I have in the solo mode, but it is great fun. It is competitive, fun and a great mode to play with the youngsters of the family. Again, the mode starts with a quick pop-up box of how to play and then throws you straight into the battle! We loved the mode – but I am definitely a bigger fan of the solo mode. Nevertheless, it is a great addition to the game and is a fun way to spend some time with the family. The animation for the attack is nicely done too, with a brief distraction for the opposing player as claw marks rip down their side of the screen (see above).
Unlockables
On top of everything else, there are also unlockables too! But no micro-transactions anywhere in sight, so you can keep your real life pennies safe. There is a variety of different colour themes that you can use, some may be easier for you to distinguish than others, I personally use one that isn’t the default theme as the bolder colours mean for easier cognitive recognition at a faster pace. I think this opportunity to change the theme will also help those who struggle with distinguishing certain colours too.
I use the ‘OhDear’ theme; the bold contrasting colours help!
New themes and music to use your points on
As well as changing the theme, you can also buy more soundtracks to listen to whilst playing the game too. I found a lot of the tracks very pleasing to listen to, and I believe there will be a track in the selection for most gamers to enjoy too. All of these unlockables come at the cost of points earned through natural play, and you will find yourself racking them up much quicker than you’d first think.
The true beauty of these unlockable themes is that true dedication and hard work have been added into the development of them to allow access to those who suffer from any form of colourblindness. I have included a couple of images below of some of the themes and how those with a certain colourblindness would interpret them. This much dedication to accessibility is amazing and is truly inspiring for similar future game development projects.
I wouldn’t usually include a video link within a review, but the work that has been put in by the development team to allow all games access to this title is phenomenal – here is a YouTube video of HeadMouse and eye/head tracking working within the game; meaning even those with severe disabilities can enjoy this game.
Sunset Theme
Jelly Theme
Miami Theme
Final Thoughts
I love it! It’s a great casual game that gamers of pretty much all ages can play. It’s a game where you can play for 10 minutes, or get lost in for hours depending on your mood. Are you having a tough time in your favourite game, need a break before you are cursing at the console? Then have a break and a quick round or two on Triple Trouble Dino Edition; it’s that easy to pick up and play. The developer even thanks you for purchasing/playing the game!
Very nice touch!
There are bits that need work, but no game is perfect. I thoroughly enjoy the simple and logical concept of this title, and what makes it better is that with every purchase there is a charity donation too. Responsiveness to clicks of the mouse, as well as controller joystick manoeuvrability and responsiveness, need slight adjustments – or this could very well be a player error rather than coding due to the nature of rushing through the rounds. The number pad fix and D-pad support updates need to be introduced into the game soon, but other than these minor points it’s a great all-around game – one that I will continue to return to. A final note is that there are no achievements in this game due to it being part of the Creator’s Collection; however, this may or may not change in the future with the possibility of ID@Xbox involvement. Due to this game being accessible to all gamers (fully able or suffering from some form of disability) as well as all ages, I believe that this game deserves an 9 out of 10 as it seriously outshines other similar games.