Apple Arcade review #100: Mosaic

When I began this silly project, my goal was to make it to a hundred Apple Arcade game reviews. It was, to say the least, an unlikely goal. The idea of spending upwards of thirty minutes every day playing a new game, sometimes on multiple devices, and then writing about it in a blog and on Twitter — it was daunting. I fully expected to have to take a break at some point, or perhaps even abandon the project altogether.

Well.

We’ve reached the one hundredth review in one hundred days, through some really strange days, and this is a special review. Mosaic is a Norwegian game made by our friends at Krillbite. I’m happy (and relieved!) to say it’s also a good game. No, I haven’t finished it, because I rarely finish any games, ever, but it’s also not a very long game, and I expect I’ll make it to the end sooner rather than later.

Mosaic got more attention at launch than most Apple Arcade games, and there are several in-depth reviews of Mosaic that speak to the game’s qualities better than I can. But, in short: this is a point-and-tap adventure about how the drudgery and monotony of everyday life as an office worker grinds you down, and how there’s beauty to be found even in the most starkly oppressive and colourless urban environment. It’s not a lightweight game, and you need to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy it, but it’s worth it for the mood, the beautiful art and audio, the obvious care and polish, and a story that isn’t afraid to go to some dark (and weird) places.

I do have a few issues: I wish they’d implemented tap-to-walk rather than forcing you to hold your finger down all the time, which often gets in the way of seeing where you’re going, and the job mini-game quickly gets tedious (which, I guess, is sort of the point). But the game has so many moments of wonderful magical realism and stark beauty, you forget about the annoyances. This is a piece of art, and it may not be for everyone, but I found it touching.

Mosaic is available for every device, including Windows, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch, so if you don’t have Apple Arcade (or an Apple device) there’s still no excuse. And if you do have Apple Arcade, you’re certainly getting your money’s worth with this game and all the other wonderful and interesting and quirky games on the service.

This isn’t my final Arcade review. I’m seeing the project through to the end, but reviewing Mosaic, and writing my one hundredth review, was an important milestone — one I’m quite proud of. Thanks for joining me this far. And do give Mosaic a spin!

Link (App Store): https://apps.apple.com/no/app/the-mosaic/id1454782852
Link (Steam): https://store.steampowered.com/app/349270/Mosaic/