Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first few puzzles make Know How 2 feel invitingly straightforward: slide the blocking stones aside, clear a path, and roll the treasure chest onto the exit. Then the restrictions begin to bite. Because ordinary stones move only lengthwise, you cannot simply shuffle the board until something works. Every open lane matters, and one careless slide can turn a nearly solved layout into a cramped mess.

That is where the game finds its rhythm. You start by making small, safe adjustments, but later boards ask you to plan several moves ahead and preserve room for the pieces you will need later. The basic objective stays clear even when the solution does not, which is a big strength for a puzzle game built around increasingly complicated obstacles.

The added ice blocks and snake blocks give the sequel more ways to disrupt your assumptions. Snake blocks are especially useful for shaking up the formula because they can move and twist in all directions, while the returning obstacle types ensure that the game is not relying on one trick. With 360 puzzles across Adventure and Free Play, this is the sort of game you can work through in short sessions or settle into when you want a proper mental workout.

Free Play is the cleaner choice if you only care about solving a long sequence of boards. Adventure Mode adds a sense of progression through its world-spanning treasure hunt, rewarding solutions by unlocking historic treasures. The DS multiplayer mode also makes sense for a puzzle game this focused: racing a friend to find answers tests speed and calm thinking rather than merely who can stumble onto a solution first.

Graphics

Know How 2 centers its puzzles on compact game boards, with treasure maps framing Adventure Mode’s hunt around the world. The practical board-focused view suits a game where you need to track blocked paths, sliding stones, the chest, and the exit square at a glance.

Story

Do not come in expecting a narrative sequel. Adventure Mode uses a treasure hunt around the world as a wrapper for the puzzles, but there is no real story tying the journey together.

That light touch is not necessarily a problem. Unlocking 16 historic treasures gives you a tangible marker of progress, and the treasure-map framing is enough to stop the mode from feeling like an entirely anonymous list of stages.

Still, the game lives or dies on its boards, not its premise. If you need characters, plot turns, or a strong reason to reach the next location, the structure will feel thin. If you are happy to let the next difficult puzzle be its own reward, the minimal setup stays out of the way.

Overall Experience

Know How 2 is a dependable, substantial sliding-block puzzler that gets more interesting as its obstacle set expands. Its best moments arrive when a board that seemed locked suddenly opens up because you spot the one move that preserves enough space for everything else.

Frustration can set in when a solution demands a long chain of precise repositioning, especially if you have committed to the wrong arrangement and need to unwind your work. But that frustration belongs to the honest kind of puzzle difficulty: the rules are simple, the goal is visible, and improvement comes from learning how the pieces constrain one another.

Give it a chance if you enjoy methodical logic puzzles and want a large stack of them on DS. The lack of a substantial story means it will not charm you through a slow patch, yet the 360-puzzle count, varied obstacles, and optional competitive mode make the payoff worthwhile for anyone who likes earning a solution rather than being handed one.

Retro Replay Score

7.1/10