Kenshō from FIFTYTWO and JetDogs is a very relaxing and Zen-like puzzle game on Nintendo Switch. Learn more about it in our Kenshō review!
In Kenshō you need to connect at least three pieces of the same color to make them disappear, but instead of moving each of the pieces, you actually move the entire board left, right, up or down. The game will show you the basic gameplay mechanics as soon as you boot up the game, so you’ll be ready to enjoy this one after a couple of minutes. With every move you make a new piece will be placed on the board, so you should always try to match pieces of the same color as fast as possible so that you’re not overwhelmed.
Some of the puzzle pieces will sometimes have a key piece on them, and in order to be able to collect it, you will need to match said piece with at least another two pieces of the same color to break it free. Each key is made up of five pieces, so you will need to collect them all before you can put said key back together.
As you progress in the game you will have to deal with new things such as stone pieces that get in your way and keep you from being able to move other tiles around it, stone tiles that slide with the rest of the pieces, thus blocking you from building combos, or borders over sides of a tile with a key piece on it, which will force you into trying to match the piece on the sides that are not protected, with some tricky pieces having only one unprotected side, and you will even find drones that hold on to pieces so that they don’t move around the board.
Because of this, you need to pay attention to the left side of the screen so that you can know what the color is for the next piece that will enter the board from the opposite side to which you moved the board so that you can plan accordingly. Once you have collected all keys for a stage, you will complete it and be taken to a short puzzle in which you need to place the keys you obtained in their corresponding color-coded spots.
If at any moment the board is full of pieces and you have no more moves left, then the board will clear, and you will be able to quickly restart the section you were playing. This means that if only had a key piece or two to collect for one key, then that’s all you’ll need to do. This is great since it removes any of the frustration you could get from having to redo an entire stage from scratch. Completing a key will also clear the board so that new tile types can be set for a new challenge.
You can control the game either with the left analog stick when the console is in Docked, Portable or Tabletop mode, or you can also use the Nintendo Switch’s touchscreen when playing in Portable or Tabletop mode. I tried both and they each work as intended, so you should pick whichever one best suits you when playing on the go.
Kenshō is a nice minimalist puzzle game that you should check out on Nintendo Switch. It’s relaxing soundtrack, colorful visuals and tight gameplay mechanics come together to give us a game that is fun to play, and it has more than enough content to keep you busy for a few hours at home or on the go.
Disclaimer
This Kenshō Review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by FIFTYTWO.
