Simplistic in nature, Last Match gives away the fun in its unoriginal title. The goal is simple – force your opponent to draw the last match. With a heavily wooden game board and pieces, the interface is merely different shades of brown. However, I suppose simplicity may rule the gameplay and interface with this game.
Gameplay
Game types include Standard, Salvation, Coercion, and Freedom. The Standard version is the simple game you’ve always known, maybe loved, and the remaining three are merely derivatives of the former. To play, two players take turns removing matches from the board. A player may remove as many matches from one row as desired for their turn. Utilizing mathematical strategy, the goal is to make the opponent draw the last match.
In Salvation, Coercion, and Freedom, there are matches with indicator stripes on them. Each unique stripe represents a different function for that match. For example, a blue striped match will regenerate as a regular match when drawn. If a red striped match is drawn, the red match is removed, plus one match from all other rows as well. As you progress, the tactics progressively become more difficult.
When choosing how to play, Last Match offers three options, (1) AI vs human, (2) human vs human via pass to play, or (3) human vs human via Game Center. The AI opponent can be leveled by easy, normal, and difficult. It appears the easiest AI simply makes dumb mistakes allowing you to win. However, normal and higher AI poses a particular challenge, at least for me.
When playing against another person on the same device, only a very small arrow in the top left corner points up or down, indicating the turn. Even when the winner is declared, only the words “Opponent Wins” is display. If you look closely, the arrow is in the corner, pointing up or down to indicate the champion. To the devs, please, in future updates, include a way to assign names or a number to each opponent, providing an obvious way to determine the player.
In addition to winning, there are objectives to help feel accomplishment along the way. For instance, if the AI is really taking you to the chop house, simply playing and completing a Salvation game will earn you an objective percentage.
Conclusion [rating: 3/5]
Well, there is not much left to say about Last Match. The game is extremely simplistic, but tries to add depth with additional game modes. At time of publication, the app is a free download for iOS devices, providing a risk-free option if the game seems appealing.
Personally, I cannot say this one will remain on my Springboard. The puzzle is challenging, but it is not my style. I rated the game a 3/5 because it operates as advertised, there are no glitches, and game is functional. However, there is not much excitement overall and, to make it worse, the game is not even iPhone 5 compatible.
Pros:
- Perfect replication of the traditional game
- The AI is particularly challenging, keeping you stumped
- Added depth with additional game variants
Cons:
- Not iPhone 5 compatible….seriously
- Boring interface
- No one plays this game, good luck finding a PvP challenge
- Hard to tell who’s turn, when challenging an opponent with pass to play
