Nil
A sliding puzzle that makes music. Nothing to win, nothing to lose.
Sixteen squares. Swipe and they all slide, and where two of the same color meet they cancel each other out and vanish. That is the whole rule.
Every time a pair goes, it leaves a note behind. The color decides which note, the row decides how low or high it sounds, and the note joins a loop that keeps playing underneath you. So the board quietly turns into a piece of music while you are busy trying to clear it.
Empty the board completely and you get a light. It goes up into the sky above the board and it stays there. Nothing counts it, nothing is unlocked by it, and it is never taken away. The emptier you manage to get the board, the fuller the thing above it becomes.
What's in it
- Eight worlds. Each one has its own instruments, its own scale, and its own colors. Ember sounds like coals. Neon is all analog filter sweeps. Glint is a music box.
- Four loops you can move between, so you can build something in layers instead of piling everything into one bar.
- Hold to stop time, if you want to look at the board without the loop running.
- A downbeat you can feel through the phone, so you can play it with the sound off.
- A colorblind mode that keeps every hue distinct.
- No account, no ads, no analytics, no internet. It works in a plane with no signal and it never sends anything anywhere.
Price
Nil is free, with three of the eight worlds open. The other five are a single one-off purchase of $4.99, which also covers any world added later. There is no subscription and nothing is ever nagged for. If you never buy it, nothing is withheld: the game is complete the first time you open it.
Help
Something broken, or an idea? Get in touch. Also worth reading: what Nil does with your data, which is nothing.