Faif by Beavl Games is a gambling inspired puzzle RPG. Each turn you choose 5 consecutive tiles, but you only get 1 of them. This gives you a 1 in 5 chance of getting the outcome you desire. Now, you might be thinking that winning is just luck. This, however, is not necessarily the case. Sure you can have some unlucky moments, but the real strategy in Faif comes from deciding which tiles to choose and allowing for the potential of not getting want all the time.
Skull: -1 health
Heart: +1 health
Sword: +1 damage for each skull in the selection
Gem: +1 gem for each gem in selection
By using a combination of each of these tiles you must over come various enemies and bosses. It is important to know when to try and go for more damage or when to go for health. It is a difficult choice, especially because you are no guaranteed to get the tile you want.
Oh my goodness, Faif can be really annoying though. Sometimes, I can do really well get a good streak and reach the second boss. Then again, other times I get stuck on my first opponent. Relentlessly hitting myself while they just pile on hearts. I suppose this what you can expect from a gambling based game. The meta game does help with this frustration, slightly. Every 100 Silicon's you collect you gain 1 additional gem to start the game with. This makes getting further a bit easier, but not guaranteed, so the game stays balanced.
You increase your Silicon's in 2 ways, beating enemies or challenges. The challenges go from easy to stupid. Making a 2 skull match is alright, fairly easy and quite sensible, but a 5 skull match is just suicide. Sometimes, however, it can be worth it for the substantial increase in Silicon's since more gems, means more shop purchases. This makes the beginning of the game easier and helps you to get farther, too.
I like the music in Faif. It kind of gives an unusual western feel. Perhaps that ties in to the hidden story in the game. I have not managed to uncover it, but I am intrigued by what it could be.
Faif is a cute, addictive and frustrating game. I was initially sceptical about the gambling element, but it actually adds a depth of strategy that applies to real life. Making contingent choices so you can achieve a secondary outcome. The game really makes you think and plan each turn. This, however, will not stop you from getting skulls 5 times in a row and killing yoirself on occasion. Then again, the risk element does make it extremely satisfying and addictive.
4/5
Overall, a great phone game for short burst of play with good progression; just expect to lose a lot.
General Information
Developer - Beavl
Genre - RPG, Puzzle, Gambling
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