SETUP: iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPad mini, iOS 16
DEVELOPER: Lykke Studios
PLATFORMS: Apple Arcade
SYNOPSIS: Slowly weave your way through increasingly more complex embroidery-themed puzzles in this relaxing Apple Arcade exclusive.
The first game I’ve finished in 2023 is Stitch (stylized “stitch.”), an Apple Arcade Original by Lykke Studios that came out late last year and through which I have slowly been making my way. I was surprised by how quickly and intensely I took a shine to Stitch, considering my general apathy about puzzle games on Apple Arcade generally, but the game has the goods: easy to pick up and learn, challenging to master, yet pretty forgiving about using hints.
Stitch is a game designed to be picked up and put down. Throughout my time with the main puzzles, I found myself in a satisfying kind of “frustration loop:” I would get irritated with a puzzle, put the game down, then come back later to see the solution staring me in the face. This happened so consistently, and the game was so laid-back and permissive, that these frustrating moments more often led to a sense of calm.
The game truly is “what-you-see-is-what-you-get.” While it can’t claim to simulate the act of embroidery, each hoop is colorful, complex and often stunning to look at once completed. Players can choose which size and subject of puzzle they want to complete. Don’t have any time but still want to complete a hoop? Go for something extra small. Want to take on a massive challenge? Try one of the Marathon puzzles. New hoops get added weekly, and they tend to be pretty big as well.
The best part of all of this is, since it’s an Apple Arcade Original, you aren’t forced to spend money to get new content as it streams in. And as you complete all the hoops in the game, new modes unlock automatically.
Is Stitch essentially an adult coloring book with an extra step or two and an embroidery theme? Sure, you could look at it that way. But no matter how you look at it, the fact remains: this is a perfect mobile-qua-mobile game, an excellent way to spend spare time on your phone while you’re waiting for something else to happen. If you have Apple Arcade, it’s worth checking out, for sure.