JARS

Vampire fangs, blood-sucking bugs, and a cellar full of horrors or wonders? In JARS, you follow the story of Victor, a shy young kid who explores the apparently infinite limits of the basement, making surprising companions and learning about his father along the way.

Gameplay in JARS

For me, this is what the game is all about, hidden behind the garb of a strategy puzzle with tower defense aspects. The game is straightforward: you click on jars while attempting to keep the tomb safe at all costs. Jars with four-leaf clovers hold Minions or valuable things, but jars with the bat emblem contain annoying Nasties that will stop at nothing to ruin your tomb. Unmarked jars add a random element to each level; they can contain Minions or Nasties, so open them at your own peril.

Despite the simple game concepts, each level offers an astonishing variety that will never make any replay dull or monotonous. Sometimes the general purpose of safeguarding your mausoleum comes with unexpected shocks, such as insects requiring switch flipping or bats attempting to open paths with keys. These levels remind me of old-school Sid and Al's Incredible Toons levels, where you must devise the best ways to reach a certain objective once things are put in motion.

The ticking clock in the shape of Nasties, who, if liberated from their jar confines, will gnaw away at your sarcophagus until it's game over, adds to the tension of each level. To get rid of the pests, you'll need to think quickly and deploy either your Minions or your goods. Going head-to-head with the Nasties will sometimes enough; other times, you'll need to fire them with a dart, slow them down with glue, or buy your sarcophagus some time with a well positioned protective bubble.

Impressive level design

In terms of design, JARS is pretty similar to Creepy Tale 2, but the puzzles here are much better. In JARS, players tackle puzzles in a manner reminiscent of Little Nightmares 2. Despite the simple game concepts, each level offers an astonishing variety that will never make any replay dull or monotonous. Sometimes the general purpose of safeguarding your mausoleum comes with unexpected shocks, such as insects requiring switch flipping or bats attempting to open paths with keys. These levels remind me of old-school Sid and Al's Incredible Toons levels, where you must devise the best ways to reach a certain objective once things are put in motion.

Verdict

JARS is a fun and enjoyable tower defense game, but there isn't much that distinguishes it from other tower defense games. The aesthetics are attractive and unusual, however aside from the art style, the game is a little boring.

Pros

• Fresh spin on tower defense
• Beautiful art style

Cons

• Occasionally clunky controls