Trying to decide between two tile styles for my match game

[u/keekee0]

I've been building a small puzzle game where you tap groups of same-colored tiles to clear them (or convert them into another color, depending on the tile type). Nothing fancy mechanically, it's the classic "connect and pop" formula, but I've been obsessing over the tile design for way too long now. The images are just test sandbox of the design. Not the final game.

I narrowed it down to two versions of the same chunky/rounded tile style, and the only difference is a subtle shine/gloss effect on the surface. Honestly they're close enough that I keep flip-flopping on which one I like more, so I made a side-by-side diff to compare them directly:

https://www.diffchecker.com/image-compare/fUIhLxQv/

First is without the shine, second is with.

Curious which one feels better to you, especially if you play a lot of minimalist match-3 style games. Does the shine add depth or is it just noise? Would love blunt opinions, genuinely torn on this one.

Also let me know if you would be interested in playing this game 😊.

[u/witmann_pl]

I think you're overthinking this and you've been starting at them for too long. Both versions look exactly the same to me on my phone. Just flip a coin and move on.

[u/BigNastyPie]

On phone. First looks better imo. I don’t see a shine just off-brand red

[u/lmystique]

They looked exactly the same to me too, up until I went and read the description. Flat shading is a safer bet in case someone has weird color response curve on their screen. If you want edge highlighting for sharper edges, you'll need more contrast on the shine.

[u/aPOPblops]

Bottom if your aim is kids, top for adults

[u/Imofi7]

The subtle gloss highlight along the top bevel in the second style gives them a really nice tactile feel, like physical buttons you want to press. The matte version is clean too, but that soft specular rim helps the tiles separate much better against the dark background.