Mnemonist by Uruz Games is a compendium of three memory-based games, with a charming visual look which will appeal to younger gamers – although it may be a bit too twee for older boardgame fans.

Gameplay

Three games are on offer, all based around remembering positions and sequences of counters with little painted pictures of cats on them. In the first game, Duel, you must follow you opponent’s sequence of counters in Simon-type fashion. Each round, another counter is added to the sequence, increasing the challenge of remembering and following along when it comes to your turn.

Musical tones play as each counter is chosen, helping to aid the memorising required. Make a wrong move and it’s game over, with the number of counters in the last successful sequence you remembered being stored as your score.

Fishing is a one to four player game, where you choose a counter then attempt to remember its position in increasingly-complex patterns of hexagonal tiles. The position of your chosen counter is shown, then all the tiles are turned face down as you attempt to remember where they were by touching them. You have three lives before the game ends and your score is equal to the number of rounds you lasted before making a mistake.

Race is the closest of the minigames to a traditional boardgame, but still with a memory twist. Up to four players take it in turns to pick counters from a pool in the middle of the gameboard. If the counter has the same illustration on the space on the board in front of them, they move onto it. If not, the counter is turned back face down.

If a player catches up with one of their opponents, choosing the counter corresponding to the space in front of them will leap over the opponent’s game piece and put them out of the game. Remembering the position of the counters in the middle of the board becomes crucial to success, adding the memory aspect to this Sorry!-style game.

Implementation

Mnemonist has a charming Beatrix Potter style look to it, with the feline illustrations and button playing pieces. This will be of immediate appeal to the younger gamers it’s targeted at, but adults may find it – and the simple nature of the gameplay on offer – a bit off-putting.

That said, the games are solid and the title represents good value for money. Duel and Race can be played against the AI or other human players, and Mnemonist is an ideal title for keeping the kids occupied for a bit on rainy afternoons.

Sound effects are used sparingly but are in keeping with the game’s lo-tech style: the game has been put together well and with some thought as to how to appeal to its young audience.

The menu screen hints at more titles to be added, but at present the three on offer represent a nice mix of memory-based gaming with a charmingly unique style.

Verdict

Mnemonist is definitely one for the younger gamers, although adults may well find themselves spending more than a few minutes testing their own memories amongst the cute little kitties.

Score: 6 / 10

Review By: keith

Has played games since games were first invented on every format ever, but now mainly plays them on the iPad (largely due to time constraints). Lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. Freelance digital consultant and photographer.