It’s tempting to think that a puzzle game lovably eccentric enough to replace all of the usual gems with donuts couldn’t possibly fail. As it is, developer Space Inch’s Donuts Go Crazy is certainly likable, but not quite the unqualified success that it could have been.
Beside the unrelenting focus on confectionery, there is very little original about Donuts Go Crazy. Gameplay primarily comprises of successive levels in which more and more little pieces – in this case, donuts – of the same appearance are shifted together to collect points, a mechanic that can be traced right back to that early 1990s Sega Genesis classic Columns.
However, this lack of innovation doesn’t hurt the game’s appeal as much as the strict limits imposed by its freemium pricing structure – which, combined with the steep difficulty curve, means that even relatively short playing periods can be impractical without regular spending on extra lives. It’s a shame, because the kooky music, cute cartoon donut characters and smooth execution are all top-notch.