Fly, Glowfly! is a puzzle game that instantly reminds one of how the level progression system worked on Angry Birds.

You complete a level, move on to the next, and repeat. Specifically, as far as mechanics go, you are given a puzzle board, with some pieces already set in place. You must, with your own pieces available, put them in such a way so as to help the little glowfly navigate to the exit. Most levels feature a star which can be collected along the way, while some others feature a key which can be picked up to access this star (achievements are available for both how many stars and how many keys you have picked up, which is some incentive to play).

Placing the pieces proves to be quite cumbersome, as one must click and drag the piece to the desired location. As far as I know, there are not any quick keys to quickly place a certain piece in a given location. This is disappointing as there have been times where I was not fast enough to place a piece, resulting in the glowfly flying off the board and me losing. Nor is there (as of yet anyway) a way to quickly remove a piece. Additionally, if the glowfly flies off the board or hits a spike, you instantly lose and must replace every single piece you had on the board. This, at times, requires you to mentally walk through the puzzle yet again, remembering exactly where and why you lost the last time. This will test one's patience. On the other hand, a definite positive is that Fly, Glowfly! requires forward thinking and careful planning, especially since the levels begin to get harder.

I had personally hoped that there would be a way to create custom maps and even share them with other players, a favorite feature of mine in somewhat similar titles such as BattleBlock Theater and Super Mario Maker. It allows for greater re-playability and decreases the likelihood of boredom. If this was implemented, Fly, Glowfly! could offer more achievements for players, thereby providing more incentive to play, particularly to players that enjoy showing off their creativity. This is admittedly a feature I would appreciate, but the game does otherwise feel complete, although lacking a points system that one might expect.

There are currently 90 levels, spread across six chapters; the last being a "bonus chapter".

More levels will become available in future updates, so additional features being implemented may be likely. Maybe the levels to come will add some variation to the gameplay; for now, the levels have an air of repetition, with just some variation on a central theme. Yes, the levels do get harder, but nevertheless, it was uncommon to find a level that looked fun or exciting to play. Rather, some levels seemed more of a chore to play, and I did not feel much of a reward for completing a level. Perhaps this is, in part, due to a lack of a points system (the levels only indicate whether or not you collected the star from the level) and the lack of any indicator of how many times you have completed the level in question. So, players who enjoy seeing statistics may be disappointed.

The soundtrack, I must admit, is pleasant and allows for a more relaxing playing experience. I am not one who typically has the sound on when gaming, but do make sure to leave it on for this one! Not only is it realistic, but it is paired with an audio track that makes it seem almost ethereal. The soundtrack fits nicely with the theme of the graphics.

Overall, this is not a game that can be played casually; it requires the player to be immersed, observant of every piece and how they may interact. This becomes more complicated and harder to accomplish when map features such as keys, teleportation spots, and triggers which switch the locations of certain pieces come into play. It may require several rounds of the same level, and you may want to grab a notebook and take notes of what pieces to place where for future reference. This is also not a quick or easy play, considering that after a week or so after its release, under 15% of players have completed the first chapter (the first 15 levels). It would not be so bad if the levels did not get so hard so quickly, but I believe this could be due, in part, to having to re-do the entire level when you lose (so the pieces that have been placed are removed from the board and have to be replaced).