TouchTone™ Hack 1.41 + Redeem Codes

First off, the good: this is a very pretty game, and it's nice to see a puzzle whose story is taken seriously. I played through the whole thing, but I probably would have quit early on if there hadn't been so much effort put into the plot and aesthetics.

That said, the story itself is not so great. I agree with other reviewers that the intro comes off as tone-deaf and racist. Satire in games often falls flat, and this is no exception. I liked the choice aspect early on, but that was quickly abandoned. It's too bad--the stakes immediately felt lower once I lost the ability to say "no".

The puzzles were the weakest part for me. The light reflection is fine, even if there's nothing new here. But the sliding mechanic: whyyyyyyyyy?

I first heard this game pitched as being "like a Rubik's cube". I don't disagree! But the thing about a Rubik's cube is that once you've solved one, you've solved them all. The algorithm to rearrange a slide-by-rows puzzle doesn't change from level to level. All it does is discourage experimentation, and add a few extra tedious minutes to the puzzle as you put things into place.

This probably feels like a really negative review. I'm giving three stars because, despite the flaws, this is a path I'd like to see more games take. The effort put into atmosphere, graphic design, and plot are all things I appreciate on iOS. I just wish this one was better.

I have played better and more creative puzzle games. I have played games with a better story. But many people, I believe, simply aren't giving the game enough time to unfold. New gameplay elements are added as you work your way through the game, (though I don't think there's anything new added after the first chapter) and the difficulty increases steadily (although the difficulty level does seem to jump around a bit in the first half of the game).
Regarding the story, it's much more complex and nuanced than it seems at first. If you pay close attention to the narrative, you'll begin to realize that something fishy is going on fairly early on, and (once again, if you pay attention) there's a revelation waiting for you that explains a lot near the end of the game. The story is semi-satirical, not racist, generally quite realistic, and overall not what you think it is when you first start playing. It raises concerns of privacy in a mature and responsible way that would be difficult for anyone to take offense to.
Finally, after finishing the game, a new section seemed to open up that I can't seem to get back to. Does anyone know anything about this?

But then this game became a bit tedious. Generally, I really like idea of the usage of puzzles to guide you through a storyline And I loved the satire; I was sitting there laughing at the fact that ¡Spoiler!: you have no choice but to report everything that Samir is doing. It's total bs, but it's hilarious. Anyway, I love puzzles and I love games with a story, so games like this are perfect for me. However, part of what makes this game tedious is that you never do anything new... You are basically doing the same type of puzzle over and over again. The only thing that interrupts the monotony is the few changes in the story. I haven't gotten super far yet just because I'm getting tired of doing the same puzzle just harder. It would be a whole lot better if there were different types of puzzles offered, perhaps ones that tie more into the storyline, like having to decrypt emails so you can read them, or having to sift through different audio sound bites on a computer while listening in on a subject's phone call. It just needs something else. Something different.

TouchTone is a lot of fun for the first 30 or so levels, until you realize, oh, that's all there is. There are three "worlds" (for lack of a better word), and all the mechanics you ever see in the game are introduced in the first world. Similarly, there's no clear difficulty curve beyond that first world. Puzzles get harder and harder and then the game plateaus and you're at the same level of difficulty for an interminable amount of time.

The story is interesting and subversive and there's a fun little twist at the end, but then the game just sort of ends (and doesn't make a whole lot of sense when it does).

If TouchTone was a third the length, it'd be twice as good.

TouchTone might be one of the first games I've ever paid money for on the App Store and it was because of a review I read, I think it was in WIRED or something. This game is amazing. Yes, it's an elegantly well balanced light bending type of puzzle game but the story that you uncover as you solve more puzzles is realistic and very timely. This game redefines what mobile gaming can be. It reminds me a lot of Papers, Please on Steam and now on iOS. They're games with rather simple mechanics and very simple graphics but the stories they tell and the way they make the user feel uncomfortable because it's so realistic and timely cause games like this to transcend expectations. 5 stars, easily worth $3.99.

Just purchased about two weeks ago. I was able to enjoy it for a week before the new iOS was released. Now game won’t run. Starts up but screen goes black when selecting a puzzle. All my other apps were updated and work fine. This is the only one. Hope they fix or else I just wasted my money. Three stars only because I was enjoying up until that point.

Great puzzler with a story that makes it seem almost like a companion to a socially current Tom Clancy game. Also the switch to another app resetting this app is literally the only down vote worthy thing because it really is unacceptable for a modern app, especially a paid one, to have this problem.
(Most of us are changing songs or googling something not cheating so it's still pretty bad even if the implementation was intentional.)

The puzzles are great, but the story is terrible. Looking for a copy of the anarchist cookbook? You've demonstrated intent to be a TERRORIST. Looking to smoke a little weed after an exam? You're clearly a drug trafficker and involved in TERRORISM. Talking about a "book" and how that book needs to cause a big explosion in a specific place? THAT is just two dudes talking about an actual book. I'm just waiting to encounter the puzzle where I unlock correspondence between Bive Clundy and the American patriot movement only to be told that taking up arms against the government is a constitutional right and not to be considered suspicious behavior or dangerous at all. Sheesh.

This game is great. Challenging, satisfying puzzles. Instead of giving up on hard puzzles, I take a break and am brought back by the intriguing story. Those giving this poor reviews for "troubling" content do not understand satire, so if you are someone who usually understands things you can safely ignore them.

really a little depressed about other reviewers inability to read deeper than the surface.

when your NSA overlords say things that are racist, thats the author's commentary on the NSA. that doesn't mean the game is racist. regrettably, those things probably /are/ being said in real life. if you feel uncomfortable thats good, it's the point.

it actually worries me a little that the same people who aren't grasping the difference between commentary and position aren't also bringing up the sexist characters? who are you monsters?

either way, totally impressed that a game on the appstore is generating this kind of discussion!