[REVIEW] Knittens

 I'm not a huge fan of mobile gaming, but some of that is because I rarely own mobile devices that are good enough to play a lot of games on. I usually play on my phone as I wind down before I go to sleep. And for a long time, the game that I've used to help my mind relax and settle in preparation for rest is a little game called Knittens.

IT'S OWNED BY NETFLIX NOW?

It wasn't until checking before writing this review that I noticed that Knittens is owned by Netflix now, so... that was an unexpected thing. Can't say I saw that coming.

Anyway, Knittens is a rather adorable match-3 game, which I always find a bit of a misnomer, since nearly all match-3 games have bonuses for matching 4, 5, or 7 similar items. Match-at-least-3 doesn't quite roll off the tongue the same way, though.

The theme of the game is cats, and of course, balls of yarn go extremely well with cats! At least in media. In reality, please do not give your cat a ball of yarn to play with. Not unless you want to risk expensive surgery when your fluffy friend eats a bunch of yarn and can't clear it from their digestive system...

But in media, cats and yarn go together fantastically, and that's the style that Knittens goes for.

TOGETHER LIKE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY

The goal in each level is to match 3 or more similar colours and shapes of yarn balls on the grid. You have a limited number of moves to accomplish certain tasks in each level, such as clearing a certain number of a particular colour, breaking boxes or seals to uncover gems, have combs drop to the bottom of the grid, burst bubbles that surround certain squares, or a number of other goals to accomplish.

Honestly, I like that they gave each colour of yarn ball a different shape, which helps make the game a little easier for those with difficulty differentiating certain colours. You can be colourblind and still play this game. That's pretty cool, honestly.

If you accomplish the level goal, then you move on to the next level, no lives lost. You only lose a life, technically, if you fail a level. At which point you can try again, until you succeed or until your lives run out.You start out with only a few lives, but as you progress through the game, you have the opportunity to increase your maximum number of lives, allowing you to play the game for longer at a stretch.

Match 3 yarn balls clears them from the board, but matching different numbers can get you different bonus effects. Matching 4 in a line creates a flower, which when used in another match, will explode all the tiles around it. Matching 4 in a box shape will create a little bird that, when used in a match, will fly away and clear another tile elsewhere on the board, or maybe vines retreat, or loosen ropes that are holding other yarns hostage. Match 5 in a row and you get a rainbow yarn ball, which can be matched with almost anything on the board to instantly clear all similar objects. Match that rainbow yarn ball with, say, a flower, and it will turn all the yarn balls that are the same colour as that flower to also become flowers, exploding things all over the grid! Same thing with the little birds. Match 2 rainbows and the whole board clears. It's really satisfying, not gonna lie.

FROM YARN TO FABRIC

Unlike real cats, who might claw you to pieces if you try to put them in a clown costume or Batman outfit, Knittens gets you to choose a cat avatar and then dress them up. Each successful level gives you different colours and patterns of yarn for your stash, and you can use that yarn -- which is different from the yarn you match in the game's levels, by the way -- to make outfits for your furry little friend to wear. A number of the clothes are tied to beating certain levels, but there are also a lot that can be purchased in the shop

And I know that when some people read that, they're going to think, "Great, another mobile game dripping with microtransactions." But no, not really. While there is premium currency in the game that can be purchased for real-world money, nearly everything is earnable by just playing the game and collecting the in-game coins that can be easily exchanged for those cute clothes.

 And really, the premium currency is given to you in-game pretty frequently. Logging in every day gets you bonuses, some of which are those premium gems. You can get some for placing in regular contests that the game holds. There are lots of opportunities. You can see in the above screenshot that I have over 14,000 gems, and I didn't spend an actual cent on any of them. Just played the game, and got them. It costs less than 400 to completely refill my lives, so if I wanted, I could spend all of those gems and play for hours, and it wouldn't cost me a thing. Did I have to play for a long time to get those gems? ...Yes. But I was going to do that anyway, so it really just feels like a bonus for playing, rather than an attempt to bait you into microtransactions.

But as is the case for all microtransactions, your mileage may vary. If you're particularly prone to risking spending money you'll regret spending, then Knittens does meet those risk criteria. So it's something to keep in mind.

It may be a fairly basic match-3 game, but I still really love the cute aesthetic of Knittens, and I think that's a big part of what keeps me coming back and playing it. It's gotten to the point where my brain kind of needs it to wind down before sleep. I like the satisfaction of accomplishing the goals in each level, I like being able to make and buy a variety of clothes for my weird virtual cat avatar, and I've just been playing for so long that stopping would seem weird. Knittens is a free game, and I definitely recommend it for those looking for a new casual puzzle game on their phones, and who enjoy adorable things. It's a great combo!