Good Vibes, Good Times
Mason and Strings is In The Snow Studio’s debut title, featuring a packed cast of fun and cute characters, solid jams, and plenty of quips. Sporting a one to two hour runtime, Mason and Strings manages to provide the player with a satisfactory amount of content in a relatively short amount of time. The deal is even sweeter when you notice the price for this title comes out to a whopping $0.
Basically Basics
Mason and Strings is a 2-D platformer, and integrates some zany mechanics to spice up the straightforward gameplay loop. As Mason, you have access to a floaty jump, a grappling hook and, of course, Strings! Throughout the game, you use the tools at your disposal to overcome some puzzles, with the main goal being to collect all 10 pieces of sheet music, and play at a concert towards the end of the day. As their first release, Mason and Strings ships with a lack of overall clunky-ness — which is awesome — but the controls take some getting used to. That said, when you’re able to get a groove going, Mason and Strings more than makes up for any shortcomings with its magnificent atmosphere.
There are a couple levels to complete, each with their own distinct theme, characters and secrets! What’s more, almost every single character has something to say, which enriches the game’s atmosphere, and makes you want to hear from everyone.
Verdict
Overall, Mason and Strings is an experience to cherish in the modern world of video games. Instead of creating a mobile game with a built-in pyramid scheme, this group of developers sought to create a charming world in which their art, music and writing could thrive. When you take the time to get used to the mechanics and gameplay, it is really easy to see all of the aspects of this game that shine. In my book, passion is utterly priceless, and it’s why I’m giving this game a hearty 8/10.
