In a surprise turn of events, you too can be a clock in a video game that we’re pretty sure nobody thought they needed to play. Kool2Play’s Clock Simulator was originally a mobile video game but has since found its way to the Nintendo Switch. Now while most people might immediately dismiss this game, it shouldn’t be overlooked. It works, and it works really well at what it does.
In Clock Simulator players will take on the role of, yup, you guessed it, a clock. Players will have to channel their inner clock and press a specific face button every 1 second. This in turn performs an action in any of the series of minigames available. While the simplistic nature of the game is clearly something that might put off many, timing your presses to 1 second intervals is something that is remarkably therapeutic.
In one of the particular minigames, a clock hand casts a shadow over a set of blocks and with each press of a face button that you perfectly time, the hand moves. Get the timing wrong and your clock hand starts to disintegrate, bit by bit, for every badly timed button press. Eventually you’ll cease to exist, and the game is over. While this might not seem fun at all, it really is enjoyable for what it’s worth. This is partly due to the game’s aesthetic playing into a minimalistic visual experience that gets you to focus and concentrate.
Another minigame sees you racking up a high score as you time your button presses to emulate a digital clock’s second counter. It’s all really simple but because the game sucks you in and gets you to focus in on time itself, it succeeds. Not sure what the cartoon-esque pigs did to suffer at the hands of time though but they do make for a cute addition to the game as they jump to avoid a clock hand from sweeping them away.
Graphically, Clock Simulator is quite minimalistic with nothing too flashy or over the top here. It’s simple, clean and straightforward. Controls are about as easy as they can get. A button press is performed for each second that goes by and that’s it. It’s possible that almost anybody can pick up the game and immediately understand what’s going on because of this. The minigames are all based around the same concept and all deliver fun time consuming (pun intended) gameplay. Some are incredibly tricky though because they involve pressing a specific face button in order to avoid certain death. Fast reflexes are required for these mini games. The soundtrack to Clock Simulator is filled with clock ticking and peaceful calming music to help you zone in and focus.
Overall, Clock Simulator is a game that exceeded our expectations. Despite extremely simple gameplay, the fact that the game is so well done and just works in every aspect surrounding the simple gameplay makes it a success. Clock Simulator might be a bit pricey on Nintendo Switch but it’s a legitimate great way to pass some time on the go. Throw in the two multiplayer minigame modes where two players can face off against each other and it rounds off the entire package. Clock Simulator will set you back $??? though and this however might influence your decision on whether or not to buy this game. It’s simple, gets the job done and is entertaining. Just don’t expect a video gaming masterpiece here.
Clock Simulator was developed Kool2Play and is available on PC and Nintendo Switch
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