Goldsmiths Jewel HD is an interesting Windows Phone puzzle game where you are tasked with collecting an assortment of jewels while avoiding non-precious stones.
The game, available for low-memory devices, seems to rely more on luck than skill though. You collect the gems by initiating a line that bounces around the screen. When the line hits a jewel (or stone) they fall to the bottom of the screen and are considered "collected".
Goldsmiths Jewels HD does have a certain amount of appeal and does grow on you slightly.
Goldsmiths Jewels HD has a simple main menu with options to start a game, view the gaming levels map and exit the game. Starting a game will first send you to a tutorial that covers game play and then you can progress through the twenty-two levels of play.
Oddly, if you pull up the gaming levels map you can bounce around the levels at will. The gaming levels are not progressively unlocked but will get progressively more challenging as you progress through the game.
The goal with Goldsmiths Jewel HD is to collect all the precious gems while avoiding stones (indicated by the gems with eyeballs). You collect the gems by drawing a line that will make contact with the gems.
Just tap and drag your finger across the screen to start drawing the line and the line will travel along the path your finger creates. There is a "no draw" zone that is represented by a dotted circle on the gaming screen. While you do have a decent amount of room to create your line, the line drawing stops at this circle.
The line will then bounce off the sides of the screen until it hits a gem or a stone. You can control the trajectory of the line by drawing loops and curves in the initial line but once the lines develops a life of its own, you have no control over things.
While Goldsmiths Jewels HD does require some skill in creating a path for your line to be successful, a lot of the game relies on luck. Luck in the form of your line bouncing just right to hit a gem and not a stone.
Overall Impression
Goldsmiths Jewels HD was recommended to us by a few readers (thanks everyone) through the WPCentral tip line and described as an addictive Windows Phone game. I can see the appeal and will admit that the game did grow on me just a bit.
However, the game's appeal didn't last very long. There is some skill involved in creating your line but too much of the game is up to chance. If you had a means of controlling the line after it takes off maybe the game would have more appeal. Another option could be to give each level a set number of tries and let the line fly off the screen. It may take two or three lines to collect all the gems but you reduce the luck factor a bit.
After one review in the Windows Phone Store, Goldsmiths Jewels HD is rated at 5 Stars, which is on the high side in my opinion. As is, I'd rate Goldsmiths Jewels HD in the neighborhood of 3 Stars. Let us know in the comments if you try Goldsmiths Jewels HD and don't forget to rate the game in the Windows Phone Store to give the developer a feel for things.
