Chocolate Makes You Happy 7

Chocolate Makes You Happy 7 is a puzzle game where players must strategically keep cookies on a chocolate bar long enough to complete each level. Developed by Blender Games and released in 2018, the game features 50 levels filled with various challenges such as teleporters, accelerators, reverse gravity, traps, treadmills, and lasers, all set against a backdrop of colorful visuals and a lively soundtrack. With elements like explosions and sweets adding to the dynamic gameplay, players can enjoy a mix of strategy and physics-based puzzles while aiming for in-game achievements.

Chocolate Makes You Happy 7: Review

Introduction

In the ever-expanding galaxy of indie puzzle games, Chocolate Makes You Happy 7 (2018) arrives not as a supernova but as a familiar, flickering star in a well-trodden constellation. The seventh installment in Blender Games’ sugary series, this physics-based puzzle title embraces its niche as a whimsical, low-stakes diversion for casual players. While the game’s title promises unbridled joy and its Steam reviews tout a “Very Positive” 81% approval rating, our thesis is clear: CMYH7 is a competently designed, bite-sized experience that revels in its simplicity but suffers from a lack of innovation and iterative fatigue. For under $2, it’s a guilt-free indulgence—but don’t expect transcendent confectionery artistry.

Development History & Context

Developed and published by the prolific but enigmatic Blender Games, CMYH7 emerged during the studio’s frenetic 2017–2019 output, which saw 13+ titles in the series alone, including seasonal spin-offs like Halloween and Valentine’s Day. This production cadence—averaging multiple releases per year—reflects a “quantity over quality” ethos, leveraging Unity’s accessibility and minimalist asset creation to target the budget-conscious Steam market.

Released on July 13, 2018, the game entered a landscape dominated by genre heavyweights like Portal and World of Goo, yet it carved a niche by catering to players seeking short, stress-free sessions. Technological constraints were minimal: designed to run on decade-old hardware (Intel HD Graphics, 2GB RAM), it prioritized accessibility over ambition. Blender Games’ vision was never to redefine physics puzzles but to refine a formula—colorful chaos, forgiving difficulty, and a serotonin-triggering aesthetic—for an audience content with iterative comfort food.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Narrative ambition is not CMYH7’s forte. The game’s “plot” is a thematic veneer: players must keep cookies stable on a chocolate bar using gadgets like teleporters and gravity reversers. There are no characters, dialogue, or lore—just a looping premise that ties mechanics to a loose metaphor for life’s unstable sweetness.

Thematically, the game leans into joyful absurdity. Traps, explosions, and “lazors” (typo intended?) clash with cutesy visuals, framing chaos as celebratory. This juxtaposition—violent physics in a pastel wonderland—echoes the absurdism of Fall Guys or Human: Fall Flat, albeit without their polish. The absence of stakes (no timers, no lives) reinforces a zen-like “try again” philosophy, making failure feel inconsequential. Yet, this also undermines tension, reducing the emotional arc to a flatline of mild amusement.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

At its core, CMYH7 is a physics-based puzzle platformer viewed from a fixed side-on perspective. The goal is simple: position cookies on a chocolate bar and maintain stability for a few seconds. Execution, however, involves manipulating gadgets:

• Core Systems:

  • Jumpers (bounce cookies upward), teleporters (relocate objects), and accelerators (propel items at speed).
  • Environmental hazards like reverse gravity, treadmills, and traps disrupt stability.
  • A point-and-select interface allows precise gadget placement pre-activation.

• Progression & Flaws:

  • 50 levels ramp unevenly in difficulty, with later stages requiring Rube Goldberg-esque precision. Niklas Notes’ analysis cites an average playtime of 1.9 hours, with 60% of players finishing in under 2.5 hours.
  • 99 Steam Achievements pad completionism, though many are frivolous (e.g., “Click 10 times in a level”).
  • The UI is functional but sparse, with tooltips occasionally feeling under-explained.
  • Critics note repetition: solutions often rely on trial-and-error rather than ingenuity, and levels blur together due to reused assets (per Steam reviews: “Same as last game, but with lasers”).

• Innovation vs. Stagnation:
  While CMYH7 introduces “lazors” (likely laser misspellings) and treadmill mechanics, these feel like marginal tweaks to a stagnant formula. The lack of user-generated content or mod support limits longevity, especially compared to contemporaries like Baba Is You.

World-Building, Art & Sound

CMYH7’s world is a hyper-saturated diorama of candy-coated nonsense. Visuals adhere to a retro-stylized aesthetic: flat-shaded shapes, neon backdrops, and absurdist gadgets (e.g., rainbow-hued teleporters) evoke a 1990s screensaver crossed with WarioWare’s whimsy.

• Art Direction: The “colorful art” touted in Steam blurbs is serviceable but lacks depth. Backgrounds are static, and assets reappear across levels, reinforcing a sense of budgetary reuse.
• Sound Design: A “cool soundtrack” (per the official description) comprises cheerful synth loops that, while inoffensive, fail to elevate gameplay. Sound effects—boings, crashes, splats—are cartoonish but forgettable.
• Atmosphere: The game’s charm stems from its embrace of controlled chaos. Watching cookies ricochet like pinballs delivers slapstick satisfaction, but the world feels sterile, devoid of the narrative warmth found in titles like Donut County.

Reception & Legacy

CMYH7 debuted to muted mainstream attention but found favor among budget puzzle enthusiasts:

• Critical Reception:

  • Steam Reviews: 81% “Very Positive” (59 reviews), praising its “fun gameplay” (18%), “challenging levels” (13%), and “affordable price” (5%). Criticisms cite “repetitive gameplay” (7%) and “lack of innovation” (5%).
  • Curators: Six Steam curators recommended it, highlighting its “casual appeal” and “quick play sessions.”
  • Lack of Press Coverage: No major outlets reviewed it, cementing its status as a niche title.

• Commercial Performance:
  Priced at $1.99 (frequently bundled in $18 “Choco Packs”), it sold sufficiently to sustain Blender Games’ model. RAWG and Steambase note modest player counts, with VGChartz reporting no tracked sales.

• Legacy & Influence:
  The game’s legacy is negligible beyond its series. It neither pioneered mechanics nor inspired imitators, though it exemplifies the “micro-indie” trend of the late 2010s—small-scope, low-risk titles leveraging Steam’s algorithmic visibility. Its primary contribution? A proof-of-concept for accessibility: minimal specs, multilingual support (103 languages!), and frictionless design.

Conclusion

Chocolate Makes You Happy 7 is the gaming equivalent of a grocery-store candy bar: predictable, briefly satisfying, and devoid of nutritional value. Its strengths—colorful presentation, bite-sized levels, and forgiving physics—make it a palatable time-killer for puzzle casuals. Yet, its flaws—repetitive design, minimal innovation, and forgettable art—prevent it from ascending beyond its bargain-bin origins.

In video game history, CMYH7 won’t be remembered as a genre pioneer or artistic milestone. However, as a reflection of indie gaming’s democratization, it’s a fascinating artifact: proof that even the smallest confections can find an audience in Steam’s vast pantry. For the price of a coffee, it delivers 90 minutes of sugary distraction—just don’t expect a gourmet experience.

Final Verdict: A passable puzzle snack for the undemanding, best enjoyed in moderation between richer titles.