Product Info

Platform

Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4

Publisher

eastasiasoft

Developer

eastasiasoft, ZOO Corporation

Series

Pretty Girls

Genre

Puzzle

Players

1

File Size (Minimum)

498 MB

Release Date (NA)

Apr 14, 2022

Purchase From

eShop

PSN Store

Pretty Girls Rivers is a tile-matching puzzle game from developer EastAsiaSoft that’s similar to mahjong solitaire but with a twist. It makes for an interesting little title for PlayStation and Switch players.

A Twist to Mahjong

Pretty Girls Rivers’ puzzle rules are more simplistic, but they don’t make the game less entertaining. You still need to match pairs of tiles to clear the stage, but instead of stacks to clear, it’s set on a single layer. However, there are obstacles that stand in your way that you need to work around.

In mahjong solitaire, you could clear tiles that are exposed either on the left or on the right without disturbing other tiles. To clear tiles in Pretty Girls Rivers, those rules don’t apply. You can match tiles that are not exposed, as long as they are adjacent pairs. This means if two similar tiles are next to each other, even if they are in the middle of the board with no exposure, they can be cleared. Additionally, you can erase tiles across the board if the path to connect them is within 2 bends. For example, starting at one tile, moving across to the right and down the board is one bend. If an obstacle is in the way, you can make another bend around; otherwise, you can erase the pair of tiles. It’s confusing at first, but after a couple rounds, you will enjoy this new take on mahjong solitaire.

Once you clear all the tiles, you can move on to the next round. If you cannot, the game lets you know that there are no more options left to play, making it a game over. It’s okay. You can retry the round so that you do not lose your progress as you seek to finish a stage.

There are four rounds per stage and a total of 14 stages, making it a total of 56 rounds to play. It sounds like a large amount, but you can fly through all of them in a day. You can revisit each stage, and the tiles swap around per play. If you’re looking for more layouts, 56 is all you get. Still, for $5.99 USD, it’s a fair amount of content for the price.

Two Ways to be Pretty

Pretty Girls Rivers offers two ways to play: easy and normal mode. Those new to the game will want to test out the easy mode. This gives players no time limit and also a set of hints and the ability to shuffle tiles to avoid game overs. However, your score won’t be posted on the game’s online leaderboard.

Once you’re confident enough, the game’s normal mode will test your speed and pairing skills. By erasing a pair of tiles, the combo gauge, which starts out full, will begin to deplete. This de facto timer gives players a chance to clear another pair for an additional score. If you do so within the combo time limit, the timer restarts. However, if your attempt at a pairing fails, you lose it all instantly. Fortunately, you can still begin a new combo score anytime. There’s also a second gauge that decreases, called the Limit Time. This timer begins once the game starts, and it’s game over if it empties. However, you can add time back into the Limit Time gauge by clearing tiles. If your attempt to make a pair is unsuccessful, your timer gauge depletes faster. The faster and more tiles you clear, the more time you have left to beat the round.

Your score is automatically uploaded to the game’s online leaderboard. That’s the extent of the online experience, though. The game is single player only, missing the opportunity for online and offline matches.

While playing, you can use either the directional pad or the analog stick on the controller. When moving across the board, the cursor is placed on a grid-system, snapping to each space with each movement, giving your thumbs a workout. Unfortunately, there’s no option for freer movement. Designating the joystick to be free-range and the directional pad to be the other style would have been helpful. There’s also no rumble support to speak of, even for missed tile pairings.

It Looks Pretty

The game is visually pleasing. It’s filled with pink cherry blossoms, which simply makes the game more colorful and relaxing. They’re present in the menu, and they also bloom across the screen when starting a puzzle and after clearing a round. Strangely, the game’s cursor doesn’t follow the cherry blossom motif nor is there an option to change the cursor image into one. No major complaints here, though. Instead, it’s a panda using its paw as a pointer. Kawaii!

The interface is great, too. The combo and timer gauges are designed better than previous mahjong solitaire games. Additionally, the background isn’t just a pattern that overpowers your focus while playing. Instead, in Pretty Girls Rivers, the backdrops are blurred landscapes, putting the focus more on the tiles where it should be. Another nice thing is that when the game is paused, the tiles flip to a solid color to avoid cheating. Overall, between the simple animations, vibrant designs, and good interface, Pretty Girls Rivers is one of the better looking puzzle games by developer EastAsiaSoft.

The game’s soundtrack is serviceable. The total number of tracks is rather small, with many being used constantly per stage. They’re not terrible. Some tracks are better than others, but at least none of them are distracting. Just get used to hearing them or tuning them out.

Pretty Waifu

Each stage consists of cute anime girls (waifus) who are drawn beautifully. Go through four rounds to unlock the character and their outfit. There are six waifus to choose from, each with a set of unlockable outfits.

Like previous Pretty Girls titles, such as Delicious! Pretty Girls Mahjong Solitare, the game allows you to dress up your waifu. Players can go to the “dressing room” mode with their favorite waifu, see them in outfits that have been unlocked, and set them against a decorative backdrop. One of the newest features in this game is the ability to change the character’s expression. If you want them to blush or look excited instead of having a regular smile, you can. Outside of that, there isn’t much to do in this mode.

The Final Tiles

Pretty Girls Rivers is one of the better puzzle games offered by EastAsiaSoft and is recommended to those who enjoy mahjong solitaire. Unfortunately, there’s not enough content to satisfy players for too long. Still, clear the pile and make room for this one, puzzle lovers.

A PlayStation 5 code provided for this review and gameplay footage.