ConnecTank

Mixing genres in video games is a process of taking a little from Column A, a touch of Column B, and a liberal sprinkle with Column C, hoping the whole thing doesn't blow up in gamers' faces. While there's no shortage of explosions in ConnecTank, this hybridized puzzle/strategy game manages to achieve a sort of controlled chaos that's almost a masterclass in contradictions. The cartoonish art style and silly humor seems tailor made for younger audiences, but the maintenance, tank management, and other strategic elements can quickly overwhelm that same group. The game as a whole is deceptively easy to learn, but surprisingly complex in practice.



The core gameplay is the combat operations of the player's tank. Instead of some turn-based menus between opposing sides, players run around the interior of their armored behemoth and build a series of conveyor belts to properly feed their cannons. At the same time, they must craft specific ammo types to load and fire. Certain ammo reacts in specific ways, sometimes playing off each other in unique ways for destructive combos. This requires a lot of quick, on-the-fly thinking, as well as some deep strategic planning. Multiplayer adds a sort of party atmosphere to the game, with up to four players trying to work together like a well-oiled machine. While that might be the goal, a lot of times things quickly fall apart into a frenzy of action that somehow always gets a laugh when shared with friends.