Quell Memento is a very challenging puzzle game, but what sets it apart from other similar puzzlers is how it is presented. Set in a melodramatic tone with narratives and very mellow sounds, you’ll never feel stressed out even in the most challenging of stages, and it is a great game to play while you are relaxing in bed or enjoying a quiet evening. Take caution, however, as the puzzles here will not be easy, despite the theme of the game.
Gameplay
Quell Memento is a puzzle game where players must swipe at the screen to control one or more raindrops across a maze like grid. Objectives may vary from collecting pearls to lighting up all blocks in the color, or a combination of the two. There are different obstacles along the way, and players must be able to navigate through these and complete objectives with the least moves possible.
There are also items that affect how players are able to interact with the maze and the objects contained within, so being able to use them properly is essential in clearing the stage. Stages are segregated by chapter, and only by clearing all stages will the next chapter be made available to the player.
The main goal within Quell Memento is to finish a puzzle within the perfect level of moves. Each stage has a minimum number of moves, the number of which is placed at the top of the screen. Players can repeat levels in order to try and accomplish the puzzle in as least moves as possible.
Raindrops
Raindrops are your main characters in the game. They are the only objects that players can move around, and this can be done by swiping at the screen in any of the four directions. Players are supplied with at least one raindrop per puzzle, and sometimes there would be two or more. In these cases, players would be able to control these drops individually.
Raindrops will merge into one when they bump into each other, and they can move to the opposite side of the maze if they go towards an empty edge of the screen. It is important to note that, in the case of multiple raindrops, it is not important for all raindrops to survive in order to finish the level. However, if all raindrops are trapped, burst, or if the puzzle would otherwise be unsolvable, then players will have no choice but to restart the level.
Special Objects
There are many special objects that the player will see as they go through the many stages of the game. One of the first objects that players will encounter are green dots. These dots serve as gateways that players may only pass through once. This can serve a purpose as raindrops cannot change direction while moving, and will only stop when it strikes another block. Thus, gateways can be used to stop you from moving towards a location that you do not want to go. However, gateways can also serve as traps if you pass through them but would still need to navigate towards the previous area.
Players will also be able to encounter spikes that will burst your raindrop if you touch the sharp areas. The other sides can be touched by raindrops, however, so players can also make that a part of their strategy. Another object that will be encountered early are blocks with male and female signs on them. These blocks can be pushed around, and both blocks will disappear once they bump into each other.
There is also a golden pearl that will give players special abilities, depending on the stage, such as being able to break one golden block, as well as the ability to change the color by which you change blocks into once you brush by them. These can serve both to solve the puzzle on hand, or can make the puzzle more difficult or even impossible to beat if not used properly.
Jewels are another type of special object that can be collected within puzzles. One jewel is hidden in each puzzle, and players must break blocks that contain them so that they can be collected. Jewels do not really serve a purpose except for the challenge of getting them all, and oftentimes players must exceed the perfect level number of moves in order to acquire them.
These are just some of the earlier objects that players will be able to see during the first few chapters, and there are lots more that players will encounter further along. Fortunately, the game offers brief tutorials as to how these objects would affect the game.
Coins
Coins can be collected whenever players finish a stage, and can also be acquired via in-app purchases. Coins can be used to help players finish puzzles, as they provide hints on solutions. However, due to the shot supply of coins and the overall cost of acquiring enough of them, it is recommended that you rough it out and retry as many times as possible in order to get things right.