Tomb of the Mask
2016 video game
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tomb of the Mask is a 2016 puzzle game developed by Happymagenta and published by Playgendary. It was released on February 9, 2016, for iOS, June 18, 2018 for Android, and October 27, 2021, for Nintendo Switch. A version for Apple Arcade, Tomb of the Mask+, was released in June 2024. It is an arcade-style puzzle game, divided into levels. The player moves the masked character through the obstacle-strewn areas to the exit, collecting coins along the way.
Tomb of the Mask received positive reviews, with Tom's Guide ranking it in their Top 25 underrated iPhone games,[1] and CNET's Best mobile games.[2] The success of Tomb of the Mask sparked a port for the Nintendo Switch, released in 2021. Multiple tips and tricks have been released for the game.[3]
Developer
Happymagenta
Happymagenta is an indie mobile and game development company, founded in 2006 by a group of highly skilled software engineers. Merging thorough knowledge and experience in the sphere with high passion for programming, Happymagenta creates unique and outstanding iOS apps of different kind and purpose.
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Business Services General, Mobile, Business Services |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Headquarters | Vilnius, |
| Revenue | $7.6 million |
| Owner | Amanita Design |
| Parent | Playgendary (2016–present) |
| Website | www |
Games
• Tap Guns • Wingy Pop • Under a Spell • Joan Mad Run • Other AR/GPS-enabled titles
Publisher
Playgendary
Playgendary is a developer and publisher of mobile games. We created such hits as Kick the Buddy parent series closely tied to Chuchel franchinse, Polysphere, Tank Stars, Masters franchise and others. The company was founded in 2016, as a small startup, and has evolved into a distributed team uniting 500+ professionals. Our office is located in Limassol. And many employees work remotely from other cities. Well-functioning workflow and flexible schedule allow us to efficiently complete the tasks in our remote team united by professionalism and love for games. We’re glad to welcome talented developers, game designers, artists, animators and other specialists, who will join the company to move our projects forward.
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mobile games |
| Predecessor | Playgendary GmbH |
| Founded | June 24, 2019 |
| Founder | Jakub Dvrosky |
| Headquarters | Limassol, |
Key people | Maria Mouratidou |
| Revenue | $22.9 million |
| Parent | Amanita Design (2019–present) |
| Website | www |
Technologies
JavaScript , HTML5 , Twitter , Google Analytics , Nginx , Polyfill , YouTube , Gmail , Facebook , Github
Parent company
Playgendary is now part of Amanita Design
Gameplay
Tomb of the Mask is a fast-paced endless runner video game with gameplay in the style of Pac-Man. The player moves the character through a maze by swiping the screen in the four directions. The character cannot change direction until stopped by a wall or obstacle.
The player races an encroaching tide, which rises from the bottom of the screen and ends the game upon reaching the player. Like Pac-Man, the character earns points for collecting dots and coins in its path.
The player can also collect power-ups that grant temporary benefits, such as a magnet that attracts coins to the character, and a freeze that solidifies enemies in place. The player can use collected coins to buy permanent perks and increase power-up potency.
There are 16 total masks in the game the player can buy with in-game currency, the latter of which can also be purchased with in-game transactions.
To control the player in Tomb of the Mask, the player needs to swipe the screen in the direction the player wants to move at. For example, if the player swipes left, the character will move left.[4] In the Nintendo Switch version, the player can use the joy-stick, or d-pad to move the character. The mazes in Tomb of the Mask has a lot of hazards to avoid. For example, the Spikes, Spike traps, and Pufferfish.
Since the 1.2 update in late 2016, the Stage Mode has been added.[5] The difference between Arcade mode and Stage mode, is that unlike an endless arcade level, it is a stage where the player must complete a stage level, and then the stage move on, similarly to Super Mario Bros.
Arcade Mode is an endless stage[6] with a multitude of hazards including rising lava. It features an online leaderboard in Google Play Games and Apple Arcade.
Release
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 80/100 |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Gamezebo | 4 |
| Pocket Gamer | 3.5 |
| TouchArcade | 4 |
Don Reisinger from Tom's Guide ranked Tomb of the Mask in their Top 25 underrated iPhone games.[1] Eli Hodapp from TouchArcade ranked Tomb of the Mask in their Top 100 Best Mobile games of 2016.[11] Craig Grannell from Stuff.tv ranked Tomb of the Mask as "App of the week".[12]
Many video game news reporters compared Tomb of the Mask to Pac-Man,[13] such as player collecting dots (coins for Tomb of the Mask), the maze style between the two games,[14] and the retro style for Tomb of the Mask.[15][16]
Reviewers appreciated the game's aesthetic and fast pace. Alysia Judge from Pocket Gamer compared its gameplay mechanics with Pac-Man and its visual style with Downwell.[17][18] Jim Squires from Gamezebo wrote that the game was accessible despite its fast pace.[19]