I like math puzzles. That's why it's a shame that Calcul8² does not quite cut it, though it's something okay for a very short session.

The idea is that, given a bunch of numbers, you need to pick ones that sum into the given number. Simple, right?


My main gripe is that the (random, as they are) puzzles do not always have any solutions. This is pretty bad for a puzzle game.

This could be amended if there was a button to proclaim the puzzle as unsolvable, and the game would then either give you a win or a lose after checking it for any existing solutions. This (or similar resolution) is missing though.


For me, completion (with 100% achievements) lasted 20 minutes. Not too bad for a free game.

There's a set of simple achievements for winning enough times in a row, as well as making the sum with X number picks (you can only pick each number once, though there can be duplicates). Quite nice, for the theme!

It's not quite enough to alleviate the flaw I described above. Just take that as a warning if you decide to tackle the game anyway. It's free after all.

~Twistorian Curator~

not much going on in the game, but thats what I was looking for.

⠀

Calcul8² is a very simple Construct 2 based maths/puzzle game where you press the right buttons on a virtual calculator to make sums. Really, that's all there is to this and it doesn't make a lot of sense for this to be on Steam. If you really like playing with fake calculators you can run calc.exe any time you like. Google even has a calculator in the search bar, you can just put numbers in. All day long if you want.

There's no options to change the resolution for the game or customise the graphics settings. There's no way for gamers to ensure this is running at the native resolution of their displays... there's no guarantee this game will look right on any PC as a result of this hamfisted design decision. There's no way for gamers to try improve the low quality graphics. Problematically, the user interface for this game is just a 2D text heavy panel with a few static images... it might as well be a browser game. And we all know, Steam isn't here to compete with Chrome and Firefox. If the game can be done in a web browser, it's just not rich or compelling enough to appeal to serious gamers.

The implementation here is of such poor quality, the developer couldn't work out how to make the game display in fullscreen, it only runs in a window.

These technical defects push this game below acceptable standards for any modern PC game.

The game is completely free. This is noble a gesture that shows dedication to both gamers, and the gaming industry. Nothing speaks more to a developers belief in themselves and their product than making their game available for everyone without remuneration. It's a shame in this case that the implementation is below the minimum standards a dedicated PC game should offer to enthusiasts. The quality here is simply too low for me to recommend, even for free.

Get better at math

A puzzle game where the puzzle sometimes has no solution..