The App Store of 2017 is all about fine margins, and it’s the tiniest details that can be the difference between success and failure. Is a core gameplay mechanic immersive enough to warrant repeated plays? Or is an interface slick enough that it remains intuitive and stylish whilst also being accessible to the everyday iOS user? In truth, it’s quite hard to distinguish such knife-edge differences, although I’d wager that the upcoming follow.trail is close to nailing the precarious balance between design and distraction. As a hyper-simplistic puzzle title that requires you to navigate clearly marked domino-esque blocks in a certain order to clear the board, follow.trail is not exactly a new concept amongst its genre peers on the iPhone. However, its understated stylish presentation and intelligible swiping control scheme present a case for follow.trail to join my esteemed collection of one-handed App Store wonders when it launches on the App Store on August 10th.
The design mantra of ‘back to basics’ is one that is understandably met with a lot of cynicism amongst the iOS community, and for good reason. follow.trail does follow such an ethos, although not merely in its presentation, but in every aspect of its composition as a puzzle game. As well as the aforementioned controls and aesthetic design, follow.trail features no hints or skipping levels, no menus or options that may get in the way, and no loading screens to wait through. The resulting combination is a streamlined yet contradictory experience – the lack of a UI or settings to tweak feels like a refreshing yet limiting feature, and while I admire this no-frills approach, it will at the very least feel anachronistic in the App Store’s modern guise. That being said, an ultra-small file size and a $2.99 premium pricing are definitely positives, and the resulting amalgam is a puzzle game that isn’t necessarily innovative, but I’m really interested in trying out. follow.trail will release on the App Store on August 10th, but until then visit our forum thread for more information on the game.
