I recently came across a new game on the Magnit app, and I was curious to check it out.
As a Magnit Delivery user, I thought it was worth giving it a shot.
These kinds of games often offer some pretty cool prizes, like discounts or loyalty card points, which can be super helpful when you're shopping at high-end stores.
And let's be real, who doesn't love saving money?
Welcome to the city of celebrations!
Zdeshi vmesto probok - uvlekatel'nye zadaniya, priyatnye sverchiki i schedrye rozygryshi. Do 10 marta vozhdite v prikladenie Magnita i vkluchaytes' v igru.
Na povorotakh vas zhdat momental'nye prizy:— skidki v magazinah i dostavke Magnita
— podskibi Magnit Plus Premeium
— skidki v Magnit Markete
— vygodnye predlozheniya ot partnerov
I'm a big fan of casual games, especially if they offer a nice bonus at the end.
So, I was pretty excited to dive into this new game.
I was hoping for either a fun experience or a decent prize.
And in this review, I'll be sharing my thoughts on what I got and why it didn't quite live up to my expectations.
The game interface - what you need to play the game
When you start the game, you're presented with a makeshift map featuring four objects.
At first, I was a bit confused - I wasn't sure what to do to access the actual game.
It's actually pretty simple: just tap the green 'Play' button at the bottom.
To play the game, you need lives.
Here's where you can get them:
When you first start the game, you get one life.You can purchase extra lives using your bonuses - nice touch, no need to spend real money.Completing tasks rewards you with crystals, which you can use to buy items in the in-game shop - either a bunch at once (700 rubles gets you one life, but you can only get four lives per day), or buy specific items that give you lives when purchased.
The game also features in-game currency - crystals - earned for entering the game, completing levels, and finishing tasks (basically buying what the system wants from you).
Entering the game gets you 5 crystals, and buying stuff gives you more.
The app immediately tries to get you to spend those crystals: on a lottery ticket, on discount coupons, or on in-game upgrades (more on that later).
It's super similar to that annoying 'Morovsk' game - ads are everywhere, and there's no way to turn them off.
And to make matters worse, the app plays music every time you enter it, even if you've already turned it off.
What kind of prizes can we expect?
We're promised a weekly prize draw, but to enter, you need to spend crystals on lottery tickets.
They're available for purchase, but looking at the number of prizes, it's clear what the real odds are.
The chance of winning a prize is barely above zero.
I'm not a fan of how they're trying to get you to spend more money in the store.
Any logical person can see that the only ones who'll benefit from this are the store chains.
The 'Store' section on the app map lets you exchange crystals for discount coupons.
So, what's the point of collecting all these crystals?
It's clear that collecting that many crystals will take a long time.
And they won't just magically appear either.
I imagined myself collecting all sorts of random stuff in 'Magnet' just to buy a 1-ruble cheburek with a coupon.
I don't even remember the name of the previous game, but as soon as I got a coupon for 1-ruble condensed milk, I couldn't find it in any of the stores I checked.
I checked the app's map in three different districts, but it was nowhere to be found.
I'm guessing it'll be the same here - the coupons will expire before the chebureks do.
They're also promising prizes for completing each level.
At first glance, it all seems pretty appealing. Who wouldn't want a good discount?
How to play?
I finally got into the game after investing a whole life.
There's the same 60-button track, where each button is a new level.
You need to complete all 60 to get some kind of prize.
In the previous game, after completing level 60, I got a booster for that same game.
In each level, you need to complete a task - remove cells of one color from the field.
The colors you need to remove and in what quantity are shown at the top, just like the number of moves to complete the task.
The most straightforward game that doesn't even require you to strain yourself.
Everything is clear on an intuitive level.
There are boosters that can help in situations where there's nothing to remove or no idea what to do.
I just don't find the process engaging, and for some reason, the graphics are annoying me.
It's like it was made for toddlers.
It's just too cartoonish and ridiculously primitive.
What prizes did I win?
After completing a level, you get a prize.
Sometimes, you're given a choice between two prizes - pick the one that's more important.
And sometimes, it's just handed to you - oh well, what can you do?
Vault my prizes:
Here's a prize that looks pretty great, right?
I tried entering the activation code in the app, but all I got was a big fat zero. I guess the promo was over before it even started.
Or how about this one - a 15% discount on a single order over 1500 rubles with free shipping? Yeah, right. I only get discounts like this when I'm already buying something I don't need.
I'm not even going to bother trying to get this one, since I know there's always a better promo code available in the app.
It's not like I need to waste my time playing games to get a decent deal.
And then there's this subscription promo that's basically a joke. You only get it if you've never had a subscription before, and even then it's only for 7 days of Ivi cinema for free, after which it's 399 rubles a month. Yeah, no thanks.
These promos are just a waste of time.
There's also a chance to win a game booster, but I'm not really interested in that either.
I mean, do I really need to choose between a discount on something I don't even want and a game booster? It's just not worth my time.
And to top it all off, you can only use these boosters in-store at 'Magnit'. I haven't been to a physical store in ages, so I'm not even sure if I'd be able to use them if I wanted to.
Honestly, it's up to you whether or not it's worth the time. In my opinion, it's way easier to find a promo code for a discount than to participate in this 'giveaway'.
The Verdict
I personally don't see the point in wasting time on a game with a pretty unexciting gameplay and super questionable prizes.
The game is pretty basic, and it's supposed to motivate you to make as many purchases as possible in the 'Magnit'.
Why, though? To accumulate points for buying a 1-ruble hot dog or getting a discount on some sausage?
Based on my experience with the previous game, I can say that even after completing all the levels, you can get a booster and reminders that would've been nice to buy in the 'Magnit'.
I wouldn't recommend participating in this game, considering that I didn't manage to use any of the prizes I won.