JERMAINE DIMALANTA DELOS SANTOS·SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2019
Run the Fan is a game developed by an indie Polish game company, Silesia Games—the same group of people behind the award-winning mobile title, FinalStrike3D.
The gameplay starts off very simple—placed in a rather incomplete circuit board, your goal is to be a “guiding hand”—in the form of an electricity-conductive round metal— to help a slow-moving current get across the broken loop, with the ultimate goal of reaching the fan and thereby giving it power to move. Hence the name, “Run the Fan”.
The controls involve both the left and right analog sticks, which when moved to a direction, would tilt the circuit board in any direction that paves way for the metallic ball to move as if pulled by gravity. Technically, both analog sticks share similar function in-game, but can also be used in complementary with one another which makes for a boon for the ambidextrous.
As the metallic ball itself is literally round and abides to the law of physics involving force and inertia in this game, it takes a special functionality to make it steady and therefore make it perform its purpose easy for the user. To make the metallic round remain steady, and thereby be at the right place and time to bridge the gap between two points, there is either the ZL or ZR trigger for that which must be pressed and held when needed.
The goal is not to make a closed loop per se, which would have made the process of making an electrical flow a buttery smooth experience—should you know your basics in electricity— from start to finish when established. Rather, you deal with a live current which, fortunately, is slow enough to give you time to process its intended travel path, while considering the overall layout of the circuit and, ultimately, the location of the fan—or in certain levels, multiple fans—in mind.
However, the addition of one or more fans in a circuit is only one part that adds to the complexity of the game in later stages, which subsequently becomes more challenging both to the mind and reflexes the further you progress into it. Other times, you would also encounter obstacles that need going around with towards a specific location in the board, often with the urgency of time.
Needless to say, it is these unexpected surprises that make the game thrilling and interesting per every new stage and perhaps, for me, what fuels the interest to the game itself. Granted you also like this sort of casual game.
While the game fails to simulate the total reality of a circuit, it still adheres to the physics that is inherent in the concept. This gives a hint of how certain things will fare well or how they will not. Again, you would need some fundamental knowledge in electricity to realize why that is the case.
For me, it is that simple premise, compounded by the almost realistic—not to mention, gorgeous—presentation of a circuit board which makes the game compelling in every successive stage. At 50 stages total, this game easily makes for an entertaining past time which stimulates not only your thinking and logical capability, but also your hand coordination with it.
While there is nothing particularly groundbreaking with the design of the game, overall it is a fun experience, especially if your playing habit is casual.
I give the game a rating of 8 out of 10. Props to Silesia Games for a game done well.
In closing, I would to thank Jim Novak and the Handheld Gaming Community for the review code of the game.
