MUJO is App Store’s App of the Week

Question number one: are you a fan of puzzle games? If the answer is yes then proceed. Question number two: are you a fan of Greek mythology? If the answer is yes again, then you found the perfect puzzle game for you. MUJO (by Oink Games Inc.) is a game that combines the fun of puzzle games (e.g. Threes) with RPG elements, such as collecting characters and levelling up.

Description

As I mentioned above, MUJO makes use of the Greek mythology and especially the ancient Greek gods and mythological creatures such as the Nemean Lion. The goal is quite simple: gather gods and creatures in order to create the perfect team (you can use up to three members in a team) to fight against other gods and creatures that can eventually become part of your team after you defeat them. Not very complicated, is it? For those of you who are familiar with the myths and legends of ancient Greece, I’m sure you’ll be able to tell who is who without the need to see their respective names.

Gameplay

The premise is simple as you can see, but as far as the gameplay goes, it’s a little bit trickier. When you start you’re immediately put to battle, and the tutorial explains the rules while you’re playing. Similarly to all puzzle games, you tap on connected colored tiles, each of which has a different ability. Red tiles have a sword printed on them and by connecting these you can attack and inflict damage on your opponent, while the rest (blue, green and yellow) give your Greek god allies experience points. If three or more tiles are connected, you can tap on them to make them disappear. Also, if you press and hold three or more connected tiles, the tiles become one unit and a bonus value appears on the tiles. This is called a stack.

To defeat an enemy you have to attack them with enough power to drop his “life” to zero. If more than a target number of swords are collected, you can defeat enemies and advance to the next stage. Apart from these, the game also has additional tiles, such as bombs, empty squares, and chests, each one offering something different to the game. Bombs unleash a massive explosion when you tap on them and destroy all tiles that are in a small radius in both vertical and horizontal directions, while chests unlock characters that you can add to your team.

And that brings us to the game’s currency, which is a lighting bold. The game provides you with plenty of lighting bolds at first but you must be careful to use them wisely, since they don’t come back easily. With bolts you can make tiles that stand in your way disappear, open chests, or get special effects when you use them on non-connected tiles. The game gives you 5 bolds every day and you get an extra one when you perform an achievement.

Regarding the characters, each one has a unique ability as well as strength boosters, and you need lighting bolds to activate them. What’s unfair about the abilities is that most of them have a cool down time and that usually takes really long until you can use it again. Considering all abilities cost lightings, it’s really frustrating not being able to use it whenever you need to. I also wish the game allowed the use of more than three characters but you can always change your team if you unlocked plenty of them.

Even though the enemies don’t attack you, every time you defeat one you have to face an even stronger an enemy and if the tiles are not at your favor you’re going to have a hard time clearing the level. When you’re facing against the Nemean Lion for instance, you’ll have to collect as much strength as you can to attack it, because his strength comes back bit by bit after every move. And there are creatures which are even harder to defeat so don’t let the fact that you’re not being attacked make you feel at ease.

Now, as I mentioned, the game has its own currency, the lighting bold. Of course as you can guess, that means the game has an IAP system implemented for you to use in order to buy currency if you’re lacking and you’re in extreme need of it. But MUJO’s IAP is made in a way that it doesn’t force you to use it. You can clear levels without having to spend a cent.

Appearance

The controls are easy and the game doesn’t crash or lag at all. The graphics are unique and gorgeous with vibrant colors and clever designs. The music and sound effects also match the game’s atmosphere and add to the enjoyment.

Conclusion

MUJO is a unique puzzle game that has managed to distinguish itself from other puzzle games and give a breath of fresh air to the typical, yet extremely fun, puzzle games. If you’re a fan of the latter, I believe you will enjoy the features that MUJO has successfully incorporated to the puzzle formula. It’s not the best game out there, but as a puzzle, it will not disappoint you.

Download MUJO for iOS here.