Since I was very young, I have always had a keen interest in the psychological reasons people choose to do particular things, and recently I have found this curiosity emerge regarding casual gamers. Whatever console you choose or site you pick, the diversity in the reasons people choose to play certain games is truly fascinating. Some people stick to a certain genre, never once daring to try something new. Other people play only the newest and most publicised games, whilst some people choose games purely because they have interesting graphics, or a title that amuses them in some way. And the best thing is that whichever category you choose, there are hundreds of people just like you, so you’ll never be alone.

Now whilst I like good graphics as much as the next guy, the sort of games that I get drawn to play are not popular or well known games like you might expect, but simple games that I can play when I have a quick five minute break, but which still bring something new to the gaming experience. It’s alright choosing a generic action game with awesome graphics, but I’ve played that sort of game before; what I’m looking for is something a bit different to everything else I’ve played, something original, but at the same time still just as challenging as any other game.

A perfect example of this sort of game is Distopix. The developer has only made a couple of games, and the game itself has only been out for a while, so it doesn’t feature too heavily on many gaming sites. What it does do however is bring something new to the table, something to make you sit up and take notice. The developer has taken a simple concept and then shown how you can make a truly original game that is still just as interesting.

I’m going to admit that when I first started playing Distopix, I thought it was just like any other boring block-dodging game, and I was all but ready to play something else. That was until I realised what the developer meant when they said it was ‘a new take on a simple concept’. In most other block-dodging games, the play area is completely static; in Distopix this is not the case. The play area will move around, expand to fill the whole screen or shrink to a fraction of the original. It will rotate, invert the controls or flip the whole game on its head. And just to round it off at the end, there’s a nice game of Pong against the computer.

The computer doesn’t tell you when it’s going to change the play area, which means you have to constantly be thinking on your feet, never letting your concentration wane. The changes themselves are a nice addition to the gameplay, and make the game a lot more challenging than any of its predecessors. The inverted controls can be hard to comprehend at first, but after a couple of goes you should be okay with them. The graphics are basic, and if the developer ever decides to make a sequel it is likely that the graphics will be the first thing to be improved.

If you are like me and prefer simple yet relaxing games, then I suggest you give Distopix a try. If, on the other hand, you would place yourself in one of the other categories I spoke of at the start, then give it a try anyway, and maybe we can convert you. And if all of this is not enough, then can I suggest you at least play it for the game of Pong at the end. Because remember; a game of Pong a day brightens even the darkest moments.