Containment

Containment (aka FRContainment) is a console (Switch) ported minimalist 2D "block" placement puzzle game. To explain the game as best possible, you're presented with a hex grid with a number of "bacteria" of various strengths on it. The game works in phases. The first phase, you have a limited number of "doses" which cover 7 concentric hexes, and reduces the strength of each bacteria by 1 point (eliminating any at strength 1). Once you're satisfied, you can click "end turn", at which point, all bacteria on the board lose another point. The final phase, all remaining bacteria that don't share a tile edge with another bacteria are destroyed. If there's any left, well, you did it wrong. So, the objective is to eliminate or carefully isolate bacteria with your limited doses. It's a novel concept but, for a PC game, very limited in terms of the experience and the technical implementation is lacking. The game doesn't meet basic minimum requirements that most PC gamers expect as standard. While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic low quality vector art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference …

This game has some really neat, clever, and fun elements to it, but the core of gameplay is NOT "try your best to eliminate the bacteria". It is "let the bacteria multiply enough so that when you wipe them out, your score hits the thresholds for earning more stars". 3-starring levels is not, ultimately, a matter of clever strategy, but a matter of correctly judging the inflection point where you need to stop letting bacteria grow so you can wipe them out. Every turn, you determine how many to kill / leave alive either by (a) seat-of-the-pants estimation or (b) really tedious calculation. This is clearly intentional; the game even has tips reminding you about it. There's more nuance than this to the game (much of it neat and clever) but that's the beating heart of gameplay, and I found it kind of hollow - the tension feels contrived. (And weirdly athematic.)

Developed and published by Finite Reflection Studios, Containment is a compact turn-based strategy game that transforms the concept of controlling bacterial outbreaks into an intelligent puzzle-solving experience. Rather than relying on complex visuals or an abundance of mechanics, it embraces a clean, minimalist approach where every action has meaningful consequences. Beneath its simple appearance lies a carefully balanced strategy game that rewards patience, planning, and efficient resource management. It is designed for players who enjoy thoughtful decision-making over fast-paced action, delivering an experience that becomes more engaging as its systems gradually unfold. The core gameplay revolves around containing the spread of bacteria across a grid-based environment using a limited supply of antibiotics. Since each turn allows the bacteria to expand, every move requires careful consideration. A standout feature is the research mechanic, which encourages players to deliberately allow bacteria to spread further in exchange for unlocking stronger antibiotics later in the level. This creates a compelling balance between immediate safety and long-term effectiveness, forcing playe…

this game is harder than it has any right to be

Simple puzzler game where bacteria grow randomly each turn in a hex grid, and your goal is to control and eventually eliminate them all by curing small areas at a time with individual "doses" over the course of 10-15 turns. One of the key mechanics is and saving doses and delaying curing on the current turn to make the curing action on the next turn even stronger. A good risk-reward mechanic. Can be quite tough, especially some levels, which will involve many retries until the randomness works in your favour, which can make the game at times feel less like a puzzle game, because even the best strategy cannot default bad luck in this game. Sometimes you have lost even on the first turn (e.g. Bonus level 4). Feels like there is a lot of depth that is left unexplored with the game. Different map structures, more types of bacteria, additional ways to gain research and doses, etc. This game could provide a much wider variety of maps than the current set of 12 or so. Fair price when on sale, and can provide a few hours of entertainment.

Yes, I recommend this game. https://youtu.be/zz_g10AqDKU