The Bart Bonte Color games (2017-Present)

Solving puzzles over a sick beat in 400 words or less

I have a very specific taste in mobile games. I require them to be simple, one hand puzzle games that load quickly and play exclusively in portrait mode. And the Bart Bonte color game saga fit exactly that description.

As of the writing of this post, the saga is composed of 8 games: Yellow, Red, Black, Blue, Green, Pink, Orange and Purple, released roughly one year apart since 2017. Each one offers 50 puzzles themed around the game’s color.

There is no standard way to solve a puzzle. Normally all that is presented to you is a minimalistic piece of art representing the number of the puzzle. The only way to find out how it works is by tinkering around with it; tap, swipe, hold, basically everything a smartphone allows you as input, until something changes in the screen. This creates two layers to every puzzle: first, understanding the correct inputs through feedback from your actions, and then using said inputs to solve it.

Each level either introduces a new idea or reuses an old one with a twist. The difficulty curve on most games is perfect and, towards the end, these brain teasers really get you thinking. For the small, small price of a 30 second ad, you get a hint on the solution. Depending on the puzzle, you can have between 2 and 5 layered hints, getting you some help without spelling out the solution immediately.

Bart Bonte is also a musician, and you can hear a sweet soundtrack accompanying every game. It offers a nice relaxing beat that goes perfect with each game’s color pallete.

Mobile gaming has become a messy place. It’s difficult to find good games between all the ad-filled trash, so finding this series was truly surprising. You can tell Bart Bonte dedicated a lot of time and love to these puzzles. If you’re reading this, I insist you try them out. They are free in the Android Play Store and App Store.