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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,490
30,731



threes.png
Threes! is a simple puzzle game that's easy to pick up but difficult to master. Made by Greg Wohlwend and Asher Vollmer, developers that have been behind some popular apps like Puzzlejuice, Hundreds, and Ridiculous Fishing, Threes!' gameplay can be distilled down into a single easy-to-grasp concept: combine blocks in factors of three to create ever increasing numbers.

Gameplay consists of sliding numbered blocks onto one another to form higher numbers, but some important rules turn an easy concept into a challenging puzzle. Only like numbers can combine together, for instance, 3 and 3, to form a 6, which can then only combine with another 6. 1 and 2 are limited to combining with each other.

Each slide produces additional numbers on the board, and the idea is to continually clear numbers by combining them, because the game ends when the board is full. Our sister site TouchArcade has published a review of Threes!, essentially calling it simple, accessible, and well-designed.

threesgif.gif
Games of Threes! quickly escalate to an epic dance of block management, as much like the classic puzzlers we grew up on, you're given a hint of what's coming next in the form of a red "2" block, a blue "1" block, or a white numbered block. When you slide the blocks in a direction, whatever block is next slides in from the opposite direction, leaving you with a shocking amount of things to consider each time you place your thumb on the screen.

For each flawless movement, without some intense analysis, there's also an equal chance that you'll accidentally make an unintended combination and in turn wind up with a block you can't immediately using junking up one side of the game board.
TouchArcade gives Threes! five stars and says that it is "about as close as it gets to a perfect mobile game." The site has also posted a TA Plays video depicting the gameplay.

Threes! is a universal app that can be downloaded from the App Store for $1.99. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Minimalistic Puzzle Game 'Threes' From Developer of 'Puzzlejuice' Now Available
 

taptic

macrumors 65816
Dec 5, 2012
1,341
437
California
I don't understand... yes, it looks like a nice game and it got some good reviews, but is this such big news that it deserves to be posted here? I don't get all these posts about games...
 

garylapointe

macrumors 68000
Feb 19, 2006
1,886
1,245
Dearborn (Detroit), MI, USA
This is just an ad dressed up as a rumor/story :mad:

I've been wondering about these kinds of posts too.

Or is it just the new apps that bother to send a press release to MacRumors? (seems like that number would be way higher).

Or is it apps with high reviews? (Aha, interesting apps with high reviews from sister site).

Gary
 
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jclo

Managing Editor
Staff member
Dec 7, 2012
1,970
4,302
This is just an ad dressed up as a rumor/story :mad:

Nope. We (editors) share content that we find interesting and that we think other people might find interesting as well. Threes! is a game that I personally have been playing and a game that our sister site TouchArcade has ranked highly, which is why I shared it here.
 

drewyboy

macrumors 65816
Jan 27, 2005
1,385
1,467
This one in particular seems to be making the rounds in quite a few tech sites. At first I thought it was legit that a blogger just thought it was a good game but seem multiple just flat it shows they bought these posts up.
 

jclo

Managing Editor
Staff member
Dec 7, 2012
1,970
4,302
I've been wondering about these kinds of posts too.

Or is it just the new apps that bother to send a press release to MacRumors? (seems like that number would be way higher).

Gary

We only share things we find interesting and that get a lot of attention from other sources as well. Threes! is a game from a set of developers that have produced some very well-known games.

If we were sharing new apps that we received press releases for, you would see non-stop posts!
 

jlgolson

Contributing Editor
Jun 2, 2011
383
8
Durango, CO
This one in particular seems to be making the rounds in quite a few tech sites. At first I thought it was legit that a blogger just thought it was a good game but seem multiple just flat it shows they bought these posts up.
We do not accept sponsored postings but if we did it would be disclosed prominently.
 

critter13

macrumors 6502
Aug 23, 2010
374
477
Quit complaining

I dont understand how people still complain about apps or products having a story and claiming they are ads. Some of the best apps, or best deals on apps, I have downloaded have been from a "story" on here. I would rather have read about a new interesting game or app than read super sketchy rumors, it keeps the site fresh and the editors seem have pretty good judgement so why not??
 

Jessica Lares

macrumors G3
Oct 31, 2009
9,612
1,056
Near Dallas, Texas, USA
Just bought it. It's a lovely game. It has those special touches that only a really artistic developer would do (music, names given to numbers as if they were characters, and the confetti when you make a new high score). The gameplay is simple, but challenging. My highest score this far is 999.

I'm not a fan of casual games, but this is a nice exception.
 
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