Review: Love Ahoy

Type: Memory Match
Platform: PC and Mac
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Most websites listed Love Ahoy as a time management game, while a few categorized it as a action game. After playing the game, I felt that it is neither a time management game or an action game. I decided to call it a memory match game because it seemed to be the closest to describing the game.

Gameplay
Remember those game where you get a bunch of cards lying face down and you have to turn over two at time to match them? That's what this game feels like. As a staff on board a cruise ship, you have to create romances between couples by matching them according to their interests.

Each day, you will be presented with the passengers on the cruise ship. When you click on one passenger, depending on the theme, you will see either their favorite drink, their favorite pet, their favorite musical instrument etc. You will have to match them with a passenger of the opposite gender. In the later stages, you will be give certain restrictions, such as making a match only in certain areas of the ship.

At night, you will have to pair up couples on the dance floor. The best result happens when you have a couple where all their interests are a match. However, it will be hard to get a good match for all of them. At times when you ended up with a couple who have totally no common interests, you will need to serve them a drink before they will accept and dance with each other. Sounds like a case of beer goggles?

Thoughts
To play this game well, you will need to use your memory. The first few stages are easy to get through because there are less passengers and less interests to match up. When there are more passengers and interests, you will need to use your memory to decide whether to pair them up. Should you pair up Pamela with Kenny? Or should you wait because you remember that she has a perfect match in James? If you don't have a good memory, get a pen and paper when you play. Trust me, you'll need it.

Graphics-wise, it's the typical big heads, little bodies people which is supposed to be cute but it is not always so. In this case, I don't find them cute, more like a little ugly. It is hard to feel anything for them because they have no personality. There's none of the patient and slow granny or the fussy tipper that populate other time management games.

Verdict ★★★
Store page (PC and Mac)