Free Puzzle Games!

Puzzle App Fans:

sorry for not posting much this week. I've been swamped with my day job and other projects. It's hard to keep up with the 200 plus new puzzles every week. Especially if you're hooked on one. Which I am. More about that next week.

http://www.smartgameslive.com/ You absolutely, positively, must go to this site and register for their online games. I've told Raf Peters that he should make them all available for the App Store.  In the meantime, they have 36 puzzle games. At the very least, play Anti-Virus.  Sign up now while it's free!

Penguin Plunge: Stuck in Antarctica: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

 Penguin Plunge: Stuck in Antarctica is exactly like Lunar Lockout from ThinkFun.
ThinkFun has been getting ripped off too many times. Too often, somebody comes out with a version of Rush Hour.

This is the second ripoff of Lunar Lockout.

Nob Yoshigahara was the creative force behind Lunar Lockout.  I recall sitting on the side during an International Puzzle Party in Tokyo and he was performing a magic trick. He told me that it was 'so simple'. But I don't think anybody could figure it out.  He was a character.

Hex Maze: free puzzle app for iphone, ipad

Hex Maze comes from Xia Pei Ming. It's not a maze. There's nothing maze-y about it! I suspect that the author used 'maze' as a synonym for puzzle.

Rearrange the tiles so that each one has the correct number of tiles surrounding it.  For example, do you see the yellow 2? It's good because it's next to 2 tiles.  Red means that too many tiles are touching it. Green - not enough tiles.

We've seen this type of puzzle many times before with a rectangular grid.  So it's nice to see this.  Also, the graphics are good.

In terms of 'puzzle fun' it's not quite there.  Still, it's free, so give it a chance.

LynzFree: puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

LynzFree comes from Matthew Little.

It is an edge-matching puzzle with funky colors.  There are 3 levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced.  In the beginner levels: trade the 9 tiles in a 3x3 grid.  In the intermediate level: same as beginner, but some tiles can also rotate.

Advanced levels: they're not ready.

I've been doing edge-matching puzzles for many years.  It's not something I actively seek out.  However, I do like these graphics. Right now I've done 2 of the beginner and 2 of the intermediate levels.

It's a free puzzle app game. Kids will like this.

Push Around: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

 Push Around comes from Gary Rosenzweig.  It's a Sokoban game where the object is to push the blocks onto targets.

About 20 years ago I paid $5 for 100 levels of Boxworld.  What an amazing deal.  A lot of them were easy. But there were a few that I spent hours on.  #25 and 35 come to mind. There also used to be a website called sokoban.de. It had amazing puzzles where the object was to get box #1 to target #1 etc. as opposed to 'whichever target you want.'

Push Around has 12 free levels.  Old school graphics.  I did # 1 & 12.  I like the fact that you can rotate the board.

$2.99 for the next 88 levels.

Impossibru's Blockoban: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Impossibru's Blockoban is a set of very clever puzzles. The object is to get your man to pick up the jewels.  Slide your man -tilt maze style - all the way to the end.

 

 

Your man cannot go over a bush.  As for the grass & water, you will need to slide platforms.

 

 

I played about 12 levels. They're challenging!  The graphics and movement are too slow and sadly, this makes the experience less enjoyable. But the puzzles themselves are good.

Chain Reaction Saga: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Chain Reaction Saga is a free puzzle app game. The scenario: a grid has balls moving in all directions, and bouncing off the walls.  You must place one large circle anywhere on the board to capture the bouncing balls.

However, you have a limited amount of time to do this.  I was able to do solve level 4 which required me to capture 6 out of the 11  balls.

Tough!  Fun? Not as much as it could be.  The graphics really need to be spiced up.

Clickomania: free puzzle app for iphone, ipad

Clickomania is a clone of so many other puzzles: click on a group of red marbles and they will disappear and the other marbles fall down.

The final objective is to clear the board.

Anybody know how many versions of this exist on the App Store?

Quicklation: free point scoring game for ipad, iphone

Quicklation is a free game. Look at the image. Find any set of numbers that add up to 22. Try to answer the 20 questions as fast as possible to get on the leaderboard.

Not brilliant. But it is fun.

Tinct: math puzzle app for iphone, ipad

Joshua Liddle recently contacted me about his math puzzle app game called Tinct.  The object is to find some numbers that form a simple equation whose answer is already given.

The game can be played with a timer - for pressure - or untimed.

Suppose the target # is 15. You have many options: look for a 7 & 8. There could be a 7, but where's the 8?  Instead you find a 15 & 1 and make a multiplication operation.

The dial spins.  I really like the graphics.  In terms of a puzzle challenge, I think this is particularly good for kids.  Although I could see seniors doing this to ward off Alzheimer's.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tinct/id651433354?ls=1&mt=8

http://www.cardboardlemon.com/p/tinct.html

Fanorona: ancient abstract game for iphone, ipad

Fanorona comes from Madagscar. It's very hard to describe.  But I wonder, does anybody play abstract strategy games anymore? Chess has faded. And who plays checkers or backgammon?

You can play against the computer. After 2 or 3 times, the rules will make sense.

Squarescape: maze puzzle app for ipad, iphone Review

 When I first saw Squarescape (see the blue image), I thought to myself: okay here's another maze game where you have to slide your man as far as it can travel, pick up an object, and then find the exit.

 Old school computer graphics.  As I whizzed through, I discovered the more interesting levels.  Look at the orange image.  Those orange squares can shift within their zones. Just tap on the arrows.  Very nice challenging element.

Look at the purple image.  The purple square shifts on its own. So, when you slide your man (the white square) you must time it carefully.  I should also mention that if your man passes over an X, you die.

Check out the green image.  See the 3x3 gray dots? If you pass over them, you will land on that spot.  The 1's & 2's - wormholes of course.

There are some 100 levels.  A lot of them are easy. A good number are challenging. 70 levels are totally free. The next 15 levels require you to leave feedback on the App Store.  The final 15 cost $.99.  I bought it.  Right now I have solved everything except the very last puzzle, which I'll do later today.  The bottom line, these are fun!

Squarescape was made by Jacob Koch. The game came out last year, but I did not discover it until very recently. Therefore, it qualifies as one of the Best Puzzle Apps of 2013. My list - my rules.

You will like this game.  You should also download Woodhead, which also came out last year. It's very similar and it also has innovative elements. Trust me on Woodhead too.

Two Tone: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Two Tone is exactly like Lights Out.  The object is to turn all the tiles pink.

If you tap on a blue square, it will flip to pink and its orthogonal neighbors will do the same.

We've seen this type of app at least 20 times.  Nothing special here.  However, it's free.

I highly recommend looking on Ebay for Tiger Electronics' Lights Out and Lights Out Deluxe and Lights Out Cube.  Same concept, much cooler.

Xploding Puzzle: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

 

Xploding Puzzle comes from http://www.plungeinteractive.com/news.php.  The object is to eliminate all the squares.  Tap on a red square - which is always numbered with a  1, and it will explode and then send red missiles in each direction.  The blue squares need to be hit twice.  Other squares need to be hit 3 times.

 

Last year I saw at least 3 or 4 of these types of puzzles. I believe that those grid sizes were all uniform: 7x9 maybe?  Xploding Puzzle: the grid configurations are more creative. And the red arrows that represent the missiles are nice.

 

There are some 35 free levels. I've solved all but 1.  After that, if you like this chain-reaction type puzzle, you can buy more.

Sporos: free puzzle app for iphone, ipad

Sporos is really good set of puzzles that are similar to the 8 Queens puzzle.  In the 8 Queens puzzle, you must place 8 Queens on the board so that every square is attacked and none of the Queens are attacking each other.

Sporos is similar.  You are given 2 or 3 'Sporos' and must place them carefully. Some Sporos point in all directions. Others do not.

There are 300 'Essential labs'.  I've solved about 100 of them. They go pretty fast, Though some are hard.

I was ready to move on to the next puzzle app, when I tried the 'Experimental labs.' Whoa. Those are more fun. In those, some Sporos are already on the board - fixed. You must activate them by having another Sporos attack it.  There are 200 of these levels and I've done about 90 of them.  These are a lot more fun.

I'm not crazy about the graphics; lots of people who have reviewed it seem to like them.

Sporos could make the List of Best Puzzle Apps of 2013. Wait and see.

Block by Block - ripoff of another puzzle app game

Block by Block is a free puzzle app game.  It is a total rip-off of another puzzle app known as Magic Bricks.  Magic Bricks was one of the Best Puzzle Apps of 2012. There is a free version of Magic Bricks. Download it, not Block by Block.

Fields: free puzzle app game for ipod touch, iphone, ipad Review

 

 Fields is an interesting puzzle app from Kevin Langdon.  The object is to fill the field with different colored flowers. The blue flowers always occupy 2 squares. The red flowers take up 5 squares.  You get the idea.

Kevin says: This game is so addicting, you may never leave the toilet again.

Now just a darn minute Kevin. You're going too far with that! Let it be known now and forever that I do not advocate anybody reading this blog, do play any games on the toilet. Just the thought makes me go EEEEwwwwwwww!

Let's talk gameplay.  This is quite good. I've played about half of the levels. More than once I've satisfied all of the regions, but have an empty square that must be filled.  These puzzles are well designed.

Fields could make the List of Best Puzzle Apps of 2013.  The awards will be published Dec 31.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fields/id622406500?mt=8



'Directional - Gem Matching Game'

'Directional - Gem Matching Game' is the name of this point-scoring puzzle app game.  The object is to score as many points as possible by tapping on groups of like-colored gems.

Naturally, the bigger the group, the more points you will get.

This game can be played with a limited amount of time.  What I like better is the limited number of moves mode.

I am very surprised at how good this game is.

Mike Hince is the developer. Right now the game is free, so download it.  Mike has informed me that some changes are afoot.

Islands Planet: update to a great puzzle app game for the iphone, ipad

I wrote about Islands Planet not too long ago.  Scroll down to find it to learn more about the rules & objective.

Previously, there were 80 puzzles. I solved them all. Now there are 160 levels.  I just finished those too.

Islands Planet is not that hard. But the graphics are outstanding.

Look for the List of Best Puzzle Apps of 2013 on Dec 31.

Chemin HD: update about a great puzzle app game

Not long ago I wrote about Chemin which is a topology type puzzle app that's pretty much the same thing as Numbrix.

Recently, Chemin HD came out. The key thing about this upgrade - more puzzles.  250 altogether now. And a bigger grid size.

Chemin HD will probably make it onto the List of Best Puzzle Apps of 2013.  That will be posted Deceember 31.

Mirrors & Reflections Puzzles

Mirrors & Reflections Puzzles is another Laser puzzle app game.

It's free.  I solved all 40 levels with a 7x7 grid and another 40 levels using a 6x6 grid.  You can buy more levels with grid sizes going up to 8x12.

I like this game. It's not too hard. You can solve them quickly and feel smart.

Kvadradt: free puzzle game app for iphone, ipad

Kvadradt (Kvaadratium is an alternate spelling on the company website) is a very interesting puzzle. I haven't played it in at least 2 months.  It's hard to explain. Only 1 person has written a review on the app store and I've decided to include it here because I can't do better.

Side note: on December 31, I will publish the list of Best Puzzle Apps of 2013. Stay tuned.

Puzzle Blox: free puzzle app for iphone, ipad

Puzzle Blox comes from Alan Clelland. The object is to align the blocks with the stars.  This is essentially a packing puzzle. Take away the black squares that do not have stars and, well, we've seen this game a hundred times!

Still, the element of stars makes the game attractive. But I can't stomach too many packing puzzles all at once.

I don't want to sound negative, because it is a good set of easy, medium & hard levels.

Impossible Illusions: free for ipad, iphone

Want to see some great optical illusions? This app has gathered some famous ones.  Nothing appears to be original.

The best one: an image of Einstein.  Walk 15 feet backwards and he turns into Marilyn Monroe.

Slide Me Out: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

 A new month means another rip-off of Rush Hour. 

Slide Me Out is different though. You must slide the striped 2x1 rectangle to the left.

I did a few of the Expert levels. Not worth keeping.

Dodging The Crazy Balls: free game app for iphone, ipad

About 10 years ago I remember playing a game just like Dodging The Crazy Balls. You clicked on the red square and tried to dodge the moving blue squares.

Today's game comes from Robby Cohen.  It's better for a number of reasons:
1. You can select the speed of the moving objects.
2. If you stay alive long enough, and if you can move your man to a certain target, then your man will shrink for a few seconds.  It can also pick up an invincibility shield.
3. The color scheme is more interesting.
4. When the game starts, the initial movement of the discs is randomized and cannot be predicted.

Here're the drawbacks:
When I played this game on a regular computer with a mouse - all was clear. When I play this on the ipad, my wrist blocks the screen a tad.

On the Fast Mode, my high score is 79,999. I'm not sure what this means. Does it really mean that I stayed alive for almost 80 seconds? I'm guessing it was only half - 40 seconds.

This game is hard to put down!

Nice job Robby!

Ripple Effect: free puzzle app game for ipad, iphone Review

 

Ripple Effect comes from Stanley Lam: http://brightskygames.com/

 

It is not Sudoku. It is not a Latin Square.

 

Each colored region must be filled with numbers in sequential order.  For example, if a green region has 6 squares, it must use the #s 1-6. Any order will do.

A row CAN have the same number twice. However, there must be a certain distance.  Look at the third image with the arrows.  The 2's are okay because they are separated by at least 2 squares between them.  Same with the 3's - they are separated by 3 squares.

There are 50 puzzles. A good mixture of easy, medium & hard puzzles and different grid sizes.

I like this!

Chunk Munch: free puzzle app for iphone, ipad

Chunk Munch is a 3D version of many 'tap on a chain of squares to get points' puzzle app.

Getting 5 blocks of the same color is worth more than getting 4 blocks. So think strategically.

The graphics are stunning. There are some interesting elements: The X block which is inert. The Black Hole block which takes out its neighbors and itself. The Rainbow block extends any chain that you already have.

Spelling Walk: puzzle app for iphone, ipad

Enrique Brandariz made Chemin, a puzzle app that I really like.  This one, Spelling Walk, has a topology feature too.

The idea is to spell the word by creating a path. As you trace your finger over the tiles, they will disappear. 

I like this game too. But will probably not complete all the levels.

I think this game would be perfect for kids who like word searches. Certainly kids who like spelling will eat this up.

Climb the Hill: dexterity puzzle app for iphone, ipad

Climb the Hill is a dexterity puzzle app. The object is to roll the ball to the top.  I tried it 5 times and was unsuccessful.

I once saw a physical version of this for sale at my local 99 cent store. I did not buy it.

There is no way that Climb the Hill will get a spot on the Best Puzzle Apps of 2013 list. Kids will like this.

Number Runner: free puzzle app game for ipad, ipod touch, iphone Review

Number Runner comes from Lane Terasaki.

The object is to find strings of numbers: 1, 2, 3 or 2,3, 4 or 1,2,3,4 and swipe them to score points. The tiles can be in any direction and can even zigzag.

Harder levels: the numbers 1-5 are given.

I've play tested this and thought it was dumb! But strangely, I kept going. So it's either not dumb, or maybe I'm getting dumb!

It's free and surprisingly fun.

Snake Walk: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Snake Walk is a topology type puzzle app game.  The object is to start at any square, then travel in a direction as far as possible and hopefully cover all the squares. Except for the red squares which act as blocking walls.

We've seen this type of puzzle app many times.  Probably the best version is Mortal Coil which offers over 400 advanced levels.

Snake Walk has 50 levels with 'more coming soon.'  I've done them all. I like the puzzles. There's a good range of easy, medium & hard puzzles.  But the mechanics are a bit clumsy.  I do not want to tap on the next square to go either right or left. I want to swipe and I want the whole process to move more rapidly.

Those are minor complaints!  Snake Walk is quite good. I absolutely recommend it. Did I mention that Snake Walk is a FREE puzzle app?

Crystal Sliders: free puzzle app game for ipad, iphone

Surprisingly, it's rare that a puzzle app developer gives a great description of their app.  This is one of them, below.  I think it's unique and fun.  Am I addicted? No. But this is good! I've played it 8 times. I enjoyed it.

 

"Crystal Sliders is a deceptively simple but fun and challenging new puzzle game!  Your goal is to remove all crystals from a starting arrangement by selecting groups of two or more adjacent crystals of the same color.  The larger the group removed at once, the larger your score.  But there's a twist: the remaining crystals slide and form new groups depending on which of six directions you've rotated the board.  At the beginning of a level, you can have well over a hundred possible choices, affecting which groups you'll be able to remove later.  Choose wisely!

 

How to play video on YouTube

The game is easy enough for anyone to learn to play, yet deep enough to interest anyone.  Just touch a crystal to select all adjacent crystals of that color.  Touch again to remove the group, or rotate the board any direction you want first. Think ahead to see what new pattern your move will create. The easiest level has only two colors.   Later levels add more colors to increase the challenge.

You can immediately tell your friends when you beat your high score - or theirs!  You can Replay every move you made in the current game. Crystal Sliders also saves your top twenty high scores and allows you to Replay any of them later, showing every move you made from the beginning to the end."

FlipFlipDuck: free puzzle app for iphone, ipad Review

FlipFlipDuck comes from: http://newbiecat.com/The idea is to move your duck from square to square so that, when you land on a square, it flips to another color.

I downloaded the Lite version.  It's similar to other puzzles, but not quite. For one thing, there's a time limit.  Also, some squares are locked and cannot be traversed until all the squares on that side are that color.

Look at the 2nd diagram.  See the padlock on the green square? You must make all the squares on the right side green.

I did not get far in this game. The mechanics are not quite ready for prime time.

However, this game has potential. Would you believe there is a Classic stage, Rock and Lock stage, Blind Stage and Hard Stage.

Denki Blocks: puzzle app game for iphone, ipad Review

Recently I wrote about Tile'M All and Jelly Blocks. Both are rock solid challenging puzzle apps where the object is to get all the colored shapes together.

I've been told that the original concept was known as Denki Blocks.  It's not new. And it's a bit expensive at $4.99. But I think it's well worth it.  Most of the puzzles have 2 objectives: first to get all the colored shapes together. The second, more challenging goal is to make each final shape identical.

There are over 100 levels.  I have not solved them all. I've done about 70 of them.

There is a 'free' version. So give that a test spin. I'm pretty sure you will then get the full version.