Splitter Critters (Switch) Review

Splitter Critters is a brand new indie puzzle game on the Nintendo Switch. The game offers a unique mechanic where players can “split” the level and move its pieces in order to help the adorable creatures find their way into the spaceship. The game was originally released on mobile. The studio, RAC7 was kind enough to send us a copy of the game for review purposes. So does Splitter Critters make the cut, or should you fly away? This is PushDustIn from Source Gaming bringing you this review.

Story

Since Splitter Critters is a puzzle game, there isn’t much of a story. Players control an alien who is collecting the alien life form on the various planets. Let’s go ahead and talk about the gameplay, as that’s clearly the focus of the game.

Gameplay

Splitter Critters’ unique mechanic of splitting the worlds is done beautifully. The first time I split a level, I was impressed at how intuitive and immersive the mechanic is, and it remained an enjoyable gameplay mechanic throughout my time with the game. Each planet has a theme. One is focused on water levels, while another will require players to push buttons. Players can fast forward the action by pressing one of the shoulder buttons. Players can also cut using the touch screen, though I personally preferred the button input.

Splitting is the name of the game and is essential to completing the levels. The levels will need to be split in order to allow or prevent the critters from progressing forwards. It’s pretty satisfying to cut up the level in order to line up the laser beams or to stop the enemies from eating the player’s newfound friends.

There isn’t much in terms of a tutorial, or dialog for the game. But this is what makes the game so great for me. Everything is left to the player to figure out, and the levels feel so carefree that it’s not a very stressful experience. There are dozens of way to solve each level. The player has three splits at a time, but the splits can be undone in order to gain them back.

There are a total of 71 levels with 56 “main” levels and 15 bonus levels. After completing the main levels, the bonus levels on the moons will open up and can be tackled in any order.

Presentation

The game looks incredibly polished and is one of the best puzzle games I’ve reviewed for the Switch. The unique mechanic is executed beautifully, and the levels are all designed very well. Splitter Critters has a philosophy of “show, don’t tell”, guiding players along the correct path without excessive hand-holding.

The music is quite atmospheric and helps provide a calm, relaxing experience.

I really dig the style of the game. There are a lot of small details, like how the main character looks at the Critters located near him, that really help sell the world. The creatures are all very adorable too. The sound design is great as none of the sounds get “annoying” which is a problem I’ve had with some of the other puzzle games on the Switch.

The UI is very clean. The Critters’ locations are shown by small circles if they are off-screen, helping prevent players from getting lost in the bigger levels.

I was impressed with how the game handles transitions between the levels, and by the miniscule loading times. Overall the game has a very polished veneer to it making it one of the best indie games I’ve reviewed so far, especially considering its origin being a mobile title.

I encountered only one glitch in my playthrough, but it wasn’t game breaking. At one point the top of a plane and the rest of it got separated and prevented the Critter from walking on it. Resetting the split actually fixed it.

Verdict

All in all, Splitter Critters is a fantastic game that I would highly recommend for players looking for a new puzzle game, or for players who want to play a game that isn’t so stressful. The game is quite atmospheric and has a lot of polish, providing a great experience overall. The game retails for 6.99 USD and is set to release on May 15th.