Strategic Puzzle Game 'Polymer' Available for Free for a Limited Time

[MacRumors]

Our sister site TouchArcade has teamed up with Whitaker Trebella to offer popular puzzle game Polymer for free, as part of its TouchArcade Free Play promotion.

Polymer, which is described as a strategic shape-creating game, asks players to slide columns and rows to create completed shapes. It is available for both the iPhone and the iPad, and offers cloud syncing and multiplayer gameplay.

A polymer, in the parlance of the game, is a complete shape, one with no unfinished edges. You achieve this by sliding rows and columns back and forth to move pieces into place. A skilled player might be able to use every piece on the board, but each piece you move takes six or nine others with it. Larger creations become exponentially more difficult to make without disruption, but they're oh so satisfying to reach for. It's almost a shame to destroy them, but that's where the points come in.

Polymer is normally priced at $1.99, but it can be downloaded from the App Store for free for a limited time. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Strategic Puzzle Game 'Polymer' Available for Free for a Limited Time

[SteveJobs2.0]

What's the deal with all the intellectual women these days wanting POLYAMOROUS relationships anyway? :/

[iMikeT]

Will this make me smarter?

----------

Originally Posted by SteveJobs2.0

What's the deal with all the intellectual women these days wanting POLYAMOROUS relationships anyway? :/

"Not getting enough" is no longer limited to men these days.

[Astroexe]

So.. it's a Bejewelled clone.

[Snookerman]

Originally Posted by Astroexe

So.. it's a Bejewelled clone.

No.

[qpawn]

Originally Posted by Astroexe

So.. it's a Bejewelled clone.

It's definitely not a Bejeweled clone.

In Polymer, you slide the entire row or column to create various shapes. The larger the shape, the more points you'll receive when you tap to destroy it.

The app description compares the puzzle logic to a Rubik's Cube and the slide mechanic to Chuzzle, one of PopCap's vintage games.

Highly recommended. Challenging game, soothing music.

[ifij775]

Seems like that sliding game app that launched at the beginning of the App Store and the guy got rich. Can't think of the name, though

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Originally Posted by qpawn

It's definitely not a Bejeweled clone.

In Polymer

Highly recommended. Challenging game, soothing music.

The music seems annoying, but it seems fun for free

[CylonGlitch]

WARNING!

This is a freemeium application! Lots of in-app purchases, thus this game is anything but FREE!

I will not support it!

[Fresh Pie]

Originally Posted by ifij775

The music seems annoying, but it seems fun for free

Ironically, the developer started out composing music for (popular) iOS games. Polymer was his first game, and he learned how to code/develop as he made it.

[dukebound85]

Originally Posted by CylonGlitch

WARNING!

This is a freemeium application! Lots of in-app purchases, thus this game is anything but FREE!

I will not support it!

why mr promotes this freemium under the guise of free is beyond me

[BornAgainApple]

Really fun game. The two-minute challenge is a lot of fun. I advanced to the one-block stage and made it to 19 squares so far.

And so what if it's a 'freemium'??? You don't have to spend any money to have fun.

[VirtualRain]

It should be called: "Connect your intestines" or "How long can your **** get"

[dweezle3]

Originally Posted by ifij775

Seems like that sliding game app that launched at the beginning of the App Store and the guy got rich. Can't think of the name, though

It's called Trism, and is also an outstanding game - I highly recommend it!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/trism/id284653044?mt=8

[BlueZulu]

Originally Posted by dweezle3

It's called Trism, and is also an outstanding game - I highly recommend it!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/trism/id284653044?mt=8

Yeah I remember Trism. It's really good! Polymer is really cool improvisation of the traditional "sliding" gameplay.

If you like this kind of gameplay, you might want to check out SlideItOut. Available on iPhone, iPad or Mac which is inspired by the same sliding gameplay. https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/slid...427129563?mt=8

[arn]

Originally Posted by CylonGlitch

WARNING!

This is a freemeium application! Lots of in-app purchases, thus this game is anything but FREE!

I will not support it!

Originally Posted by dukebound85

why mr promotes this freemium under the guise of free is beyond me

http://toucharcade.com/2013/03/01/to...ment-817021215

Thawkk Nada Tosnas • 2 days ago −
All of the IAP are either purely cosmetic color reskins or just skipping to unlock modes/pieces, the latter of which might not even be advised because of the learning curve. Everything that actually affects gameplay can be unlocked through normal play that doesn't take an insane amount of time to unlock.

[ArtOfWarfare]

Originally Posted by CylonGlitch

WARNING!

This is a freemeium application! Lots of in-app purchases, thus this game is anything but FREE!

I will not support it!

T.T

I believe you're confused about what you're rebelling against. There are 5 shapes and 3 modes in the game. 2 of the shapes and 1 of the modes are available from the start. The other 5 can be unlocked with about an hour of playing, each, or if you're too lazy you can just buy them. There's absolutely no need for you to spend any money beyond what you pay to get the app (which is currently free,) to get the most out of the game.

Unless, for whatever reason, you happen to want different color schemes in the game. There are 32 total color schemes in the game, 6 of them come unlocked from the start, 2 more can be unlocked from playing the game, and the other 24 can be purchased individually or in packs.

I can understand rebelling against the model used in some games ("you have to pay to unlock the final boss!" or "You have to buy each weapon in the game!" or "You have to pay $0.99 for every hour of gameplay!") but this? All you're doing is paying to unlock cheat codes - if you'd like to play it as designed, there's no need to ever pay.

Edit: The player just made a huge mistake in that second screen shot. They just messed up several of their completed polymers. If they'd worked their way from the top to the bottom, they could have gotten a huge bonus. I would have gone:

Olive, brown, lime, yellow, green, all of the purplish ones, rust, the aqua one they destroyed in the screenshot, then the gray one. Cannot believe they had it so perfectly set up then they screwed it up like that. Of course, I suspect the screenshots are totally staged and in no way taken from actual gameplay.

[CylonGlitch]

Originally Posted by ArtOfWarfare

I believe you're confused about what you're rebelling against. There are 5 shapes and 3 modes in the game. 2 of the shapes and 1 of the modes are available from the start. The other 5 can be unlocked with about an hour of playing, each, or if you're too lazy you can just buy them. There's absolutely no need for you to spend any money beyond what you pay to get the app (which is currently free,) to get the most out of the game.

Since the end customer has absolutely no way to know if the "In-App" purchases are required, unlock the full version of the game, or have cosmetic changes, then I will boycott ALL games that support in-app purchases. It's a stand I'm willing to make.

Look at what is listed as "In-App" Purchases Here, and how as potential customer sees it :
Launch Pack -- Sounds like needed to complete levels
One Polymer -- Ok, sounds like you need to buy a new shape here.
Bombs -- Levels going to be so hard that you HAVE to buy these.
Big Ten Pack -- No idea
Square Piece -- Should be included in the full game, but here to make more money.
Straight Piece -- Same thing as square
Three-Sided Piece -- Same thing as square
Ocean -- No idea
Forest -- No idea
Clay -- No idea

Ok, so by reviewing these purchase it seems like there are FOUR things (One Polymer, Square, Straight, and Three-Sided pieces) that should have been included in the game.

Whatever the Launch Pack is, at $3 it seems like the primary game? Unlock for the rest of the levels? I don't know. But is it similar to the Bombs or the Big Ten Pack which sound like they are things that you'll be buying all the time to help finish levels.

So as a potential customer I see nothing here that says that these are not needed to finish the game. If they want $5 for the game, then charge $5, don't nickel and dime me, I want to know what the full cost is going to be.

[arn]

Originally Posted by CylonGlitch

Since the end customer has absolutely no way to know if the "In-App" purchases are required, unlock the full version of the game, or have cosmetic changes, then I will boycott ALL games that support in-app purchases..

If only someone on a message board could tell you.

arn

[rockinrocker]

Ha. Well played.

Originally Posted by arn

If only someone on a message board could tell you.

arn

[ArtOfWarfare]

Originally Posted by CylonGlitch

Look at what is listed as "In-App" Purchases Here, and how as potential customer sees it :
Launch Pack -- Sounds like needed to complete levels
One Polymer -- Ok, sounds like you need to buy a new shape here.
Bombs -- Levels going to be so hard that you HAVE to buy these.
Big Ten Pack -- No idea
Square Piece -- Should be included in the full game, but here to make more money.
Straight Piece -- Same thing as square
Three-Sided Piece -- Same thing as square
Ocean -- No idea
Forest -- No idea
Clay -- No idea

You went through the effort of checking those but not simply downloading the game and finding out for yourself? For your edification:

One Polymer and Bombs - Game mode that you can unlock by scoring high enough in the normal mode and One Polymer, respectively. As others have said, the fact you need to score high enough serves as a learning curve because these modes are more difficult than those that precede them.

Straight Piece, Three-Sided Piece, Square Piece - Pieces that you can unlock by scoring high enough in the normal mode, one polymer, and bombs respectively. They make the game more complicated and so, again, the fact that they're unlockable rather than available right off the bat allows you to ease your way into the game and figure out what good strategies are.

Launch Pack - Bundle with all the game modes and pieces.

Ocean, Forest, Clay - Individual color themes for the game.

Big Ten Pack - Pack of twelve color themes for the game. The twelve themes are based on the top ten (US?) universities, or something like that, thus the name.

I suppose you never buy games that have guides sold separately or expansion packs, do you?

[CylonGlitch]

Originally Posted by ArtOfWarfare

You went through the effort of checking those but not simply downloading the game and finding out for yourself?

Why waste my time on a game that would have to potentially quit because of in-app purchases when there are enough out there I don't have to? Seriously, not worth my effort. The only reason I made any additional thought was because of this thread, otherwise I would never have given it a second look.

Originally Posted by ArtOfWarfare

I suppose you never buy games that have guides sold separately or expansion packs, do you?

Never, every buy guides, after 30+ years of video games I have never purchased one. As for expansions, sure, but that's because you know what you're getting. In-App purchases are things that should be included in the original game but isn't (often, not always). If they want $5 for the game, charge $5 but include everything that you need to complete the game. Only thing that makes logical sense would be "full game unlock" and offer the game for free.

[apfeljonas]

Originally Posted by ifij775

Seems like that sliding game app that launched at the beginning of the App Store and the guy got rich. Can't think of the name, though

----------



The music seems annoying, but it seems fun for free

I think the game was called Trism...

[Exotic-Car Man]

Originally Posted by arn

Originally Posted by ArtOfWarfare

Ocean, Forest, Clay - Individual color themes for the game.

Big Ten Pack - Pack of twelve color themes for the game. The twelve themes are based on the top ten (US?) universities, or something like that, thus the name.

So then it sounds like the most you would ever spend on this game is ~$5, and that's if you get all the theme packs. Oh God, the horror of actually paying for minor cosmetic changes in a free game! This developer is crazy! Everybody knows devs should never be paid for the time they put into making apps!

[ladeer]

Originally Posted by CylonGlitch

Since the end customer has absolutely no way to know if the "In-App" purchases are required, unlock the full version of the game, or have cosmetic changes, then I will boycott ALL games that support in-app purchases. It's a stand I'm willing to make.

Look at what is listed as "In-App" Purchases Here, and how as potential customer sees it :
Launch Pack -- Sounds like needed to complete levels
One Polymer -- Ok, sounds like you need to buy a new shape here.
Bombs -- Levels going to be so hard that you HAVE to buy these.
Big Ten Pack -- No idea
Square Piece -- Should be included in the full game, but here to make more money.
Straight Piece -- Same thing as square
Three-Sided Piece -- Same thing as square
Ocean -- No idea
Forest -- No idea
Clay -- No idea

Ok, so by reviewing these purchase it seems like there are FOUR things (One Polymer, Square, Straight, and Three-Sided pieces) that should have been included in the game.

Whatever the Launch Pack is, at $3 it seems like the primary game? Unlock for the rest of the levels? I don't know. But is it similar to the Bombs or the Big Ten Pack which sound like they are things that you'll be buying all the time to help finish levels.

So as a potential customer I see nothing here that says that these are not needed to finish the game. If they want $5 for the game, then charge $5, don't nickel and dime me, I want to know what the full cost is going to be.

Have u heard of Candy Crush? Any permanent in-app purchase (effect not just one turn) starts at $30. Polymers seems like a steal now?

[qpawn]

Originally Posted by CylonGlitch

Why waste my time on a game that would have to potentially quit because of in-app purchases when there are enough out there I don't have to? Seriously, not worth my effort. The only reason I made any additional thought was because of this thread, otherwise I would never have given it a second look.

You have been an active member of the MacRumors forums since 2009, posting almost daily.

Your overall view on IAP is understandable because there are numerous games that incorporate it into the actual gameplay and encourage the user to pay to keep playing. This can be an unpleasant experience for many players.

Why not ask your fellow community members what the IAP entails? Many have already responded with IAP information. This would require the same amount of effort as your first post in the thread and you'd be engaging with the same users you care enough about to warn of potential monetary threats.

I'm sure many readers appreciate being notified of greedy apps, but in this case, you might be stopping some users from downloading a game they might enjoy that's free for a limited time.

If anybody decides they want to research a game's IAP outside of this forum, I recommend visiting MacRumors' sister site TouchArcade. Members of those forums describe their IAP experiences for most games and discuss whether or not they believe the IAP hinders gameplay.