Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch

A “goofy” game that manages to entertain with its simple and interesting ideas and gameplay

Sometimes You is already a well-known studio here at SavePoint. Many of their games are borderline eccentric, but also bring some bold, innovative ideas. Their latest game, Grab the Bottle, goes for a simpler, more direct experience – an interesting and fun puzzle.

Fun Factor: 8/10

Grab the Bottle presents a very simple setup: your goal is to reach the bottle. Between you and your sweet, delicious beverage are obstacles to be avoided and physics-based puzzles that must be solved.

The whole thing is goofy, but the game does not even try to take itself seriously and manages to deliver a fun, entertaining experience!

Mechanics: 7/10

GtB is a simple game that relies on simple controls: Left/Right steers your turns, one button accelerates your hand’s advance, one button holds/pulls objects and one button restarts the current level. Once the stage begins, your hand advances automatically and you’ll have to navigate around obstacles and solve puzzles in order to open the way to the bottle. Objects that can be pushed/pulled have highlighted colored outlines, and hitting obstacles causes damage (there’s a limit to how many hits you can take per level) and rewinds your progress a little, a few seconds before the “accident”. As you progress, the game raises its difficulty by adding goals that must be fulfilled before touching the bottle and also by presenting more and more logic and physics puzzles. We have to highlight how satisfying it feels to complete a level, with a pleasant tune and a fitting effect of your arm whipping across the screen!

Despite what the interface and menus constantly suggest, the game has no touch screen support. You may find this somewhat frustrating, as you’ll often try to select options that have a finger icon and see no reaction in the game.

Presentation: 7/10

For a low-budget game from a small studio, Grab the Bottle manages to deliver a product with acceptable audiovisual quality. Even though it lacks variety, the soundtrack is pleasant and creates the right mood for puzzles and for the game’s style. The visual side works, but it’s hard not to be bothered by its excessive simplicity… And just not being pretty at all.

Final Considerations

Grab the Bottle is a simple game, but it has personality and is really interesting. It can certainly offer a good experience to players who are always looking for new puzzles and pastimes!

Scores

Fun Factor = 8
Mechanics = 7
Presentation = 7
Worth the 6.30 dollars? If you appreciate puzzles in general, it may be a good option for you! If you’re looking for a pastime and want to get the biggest bang for your buck, it might be worth considering other options – or waiting for a sale.

Final: 7.3/10

Reviewed with the Nintendo Switch version.