Shapist: puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Shapist is an interesting puzzle app game from Ori Takemura and Dmitry Kurilchenko. As you can .

see, they wear cool glasses

The objective & rules are never described.

However, I'll tell you: you must slide the pieces around so that the gray field is not covered by any of the  pieces. See the yellow bars? They act as temporary magnets that bind pieces together. They can also repel each other.

Very Cool Element: A block that has a diagonal line can be squeezed smaller like an accordion, if it is pushed by another piece.

There are approximately 50 puzzle levels. I've done about half of them. I'm stuck right now.

If you liked Blockwick, which I recommended about 2.5 years ago, you will definitely like Shapist. Shapist is not just another sliding tile puzzle: it's original, clever and just plain fun.

http://www.playshapist.com



CubeTraz: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

CubeTraz is a  free maze like puzzle app game for the iphone, ipad.  The object is to slide your red cube to the yellow cube.  Look at the diagram above: you can travel in 3 dimensions.



See the gray blocks with arrows? If you crash into them, they will send your man in that direction.


There are 180 levels, I've done all the free ones - 15 or so.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JVbGCM-KmI8
https://itunes.apple.com/app/cubetraz/id495930938?mt=8

Kolor: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Kolor is a puzzle app game that's essentially a Latin Square: the objective is to get one of each color into every row & column.

Strictly for kids.

http://firstcommit.com/games/kolor/


https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kolor/id688648304?ls=1&mt=8

One, Two, Three: free puzzle app game for your reflexes

One, Two Three is a free puzzle app game that will test your reflexes.  The object is to tap the numbers in order as fast as possible. 

See the red decimal number? That's your time.

There are other puzzle games similar to this. What's interesting: the numbers are different sizes. Keep Alzheimer's away!  Play this game when you wake up.

https://itunes.apple.com/app/one-two-three/id509862272?mt=8

Brainsquare: puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Brainsquare is a sliding tile puzzle game app. We've seen this type before many times where you must slide the rows/columns.  The objective is to group the colors within a certain number of moves to align the dots outside the grid.  Sorry, no image for that.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/brainsquare/id669015015?mt=8

Path Puzzles: puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

 Path Puzzles is a puzzle app game that comes from Rod Kimball. You may recall that Rod wrote a book of these.  http://pathpuzzles.com/    Click here to read that blog entry.

Look at the second image.  See the 4? That means that the path must traverse 4 of the squares. In this case, 2 below (separated, one on top, one on the bottom) and the two squares to the right.

Now Path Puzzles is available as an iphone, ipad puzzle game app.  If a number turns green, you have fulfilled that number. If a number is red, you've covered too many squares. 


The first 20 rooms are free.  Of those, I've solved 16.


Loyal Blog Readers: do me a favor and download this. Besides being very good, Rod is a friend of mine.

Damero Plus: puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Antonio Parra recently contacted me about a few of his puzzle game apps which are all related.  Damero Plus is a sliding tile puzzle. Each row and column slides around until the picture is re-established.



We've seen this type of puzzle app game many times before.   Here's what's very interesting and cool: the program will show you which pieces go where with arched arrows. I don't have an image of that to show, but it's helpful and very slick.

https://itunes.apple.com/gw/app/damero-plus/id692263918?mt=8

Point to Point: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad



Point to Point comes from Emre Dagli. Here is his description of the game: I am so excited and glad to introduce an unexplored puzzle game 'Point to Point'.

'This game is based on planar connected graph under Mathematics.

Simply there are points which have the connection counts around them. You are supposed to connect points without intersection. On some levels you will face with movable point(s); in this case it may be hard to find the correct position.

'Point to Point' may have multiple solutions. You can gain more stars after each level, if you find the solution in less number of tries.'



We've seen the 2 elements Hashi & Untangle of this puzzle as separate, so combining them is a very nice novelty. 

I solved the first pack of 15 puzzles and enjoyed them.  Point to Point is definitely worth your time.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/point-to-point/id720747411?mt=8

Roto16: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Roto16 comes from John Swensen. The object is to get the numbers in order by rotating groups of 4 tiles at a center point. 

Look at the image: the 4 tiles in the upper left corner are rotating.  When you're done with that group, you can place the center of rotation in between the 11, 8, 2, and 12.

This concept is not new. But it's hard! I played this game for about 10 minutes and couldn't switch the 15 & 16.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/roto16/id692973937?mt=8

Crazy Conveyor: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad



Crazy Conveyor is a free puzzle app game that's really more of an action game.

The object is to place directional arrow on the gray squares to get the blue boxes home.

I've only played it a few times. There's some interesting action going on. Level 2: your boxes must speed up in order to land on a trampoline, land elsewhere, then head back to the trampoline to get to the next level.

I'm not compelled to solve every level. But I think kids would find this fun.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/crazy-conveyor/id770378373?mt=8

Threes! Puzzle App Game for iphone, ipad

Threes! is a new puzzle app game that seems to have taken the world by storm. The object is to score points by combining tiles in a sliding motion.

1 & 2 combine to form 3. After that, only like numbers will merge: 3 & 3 to form 6, 6 & 6 to form 12 etc.

The game ends when you run out of space. The new tiles that emerge are randomized. You will probably die if your board is mostly filled up and then get 3 blues (1's) in a row.

Threes! is addictive. In fact, it's fabulous. I can't stop playing it! Right now my top score is about 22,000. This puts me in the top 5 or 10%

Here's what you need to get a high score: patience. I swipe too quickly.

Threes! leaps to the top of the list of Best Puzzle Apps of 2014.  I am blown away at how good this game is.


http://asherv.com/threes/

Change of topic: I've gotten a slew of emails about being absent for a week on this blog. The New York Puzzle Party was on Saturday and was terrific. That was followed by the New York Toy Fair at the Javits Center, which ends later today. I must catch up on those follow-through tasks.  Next blog entry will be on Monday.

Rubik's Fifteen: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Rubik's Fifteen, the mechanical puzzle, came out around 1988 at the same time as Rubik's Clock. Both are terrific because the mechanisms are quite clever.  However, both are kind of easy.

It may seem that Rubik's Fifteen is double sided. Yes and no. Yes, both sides have numbers.  One side is red with Roman Numerals, the other side is yellow with regular numbers. The yellow side is harder than the red side because some numbers get hidden under the black frame.

I originally solved the yellow side by focusing on the red side where I could see all of the numbers, because a 7 on one side is still a 7 on the other.

Now you don't have to buy the actual puzzle because the virtual puzzle is here and it's free. But the virtual model is missing that tactile magic.

https://itunes.apple.com/US/app/id674154228?mt=8

New York Puzzle Party Symposium - this Saturday

The annual New York Puzzle Party Symposium will take place this Saturday.  Are you interested in attending?  Contact me through the comments section.

Source Free

Source Free is a shunting puzzle app game: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/source-free/id791918168?mt=8 

Your task is to get a blue dot from the factory to the blue home. You must turn pipes so the dot can travel. 

Along the way, you will have to pass through a machine that will change the color of your dot.  There is also a device that will provide a ricochet action that you will need.

There are 60 levels. I've done 40 of them. They're not terribly hard. However, on the timed levels, I'm too slow!

'Puzzlium: Prologue' - incredible puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Do you know the Grabarchuk family? They are non-stop puzzle designers. Here are my previous reviews of their puzzle apps:  Fish Crackers Sliding Tile. Strimko Gold  Icut.
Puzzlium: Prologue is a compilation of these - all in one shot for just $.99.  Incredible bargain. I'm flabbergasted by the sheer number and quality of these puzzles. (Actually, Strimko is not included.) The user interface is very slick and polished.

The Sliding Tiles set of puzzles alone is worth $5.00. My only qualm: I can delete the old Sliding Tile app, but if I do, I lose all my progress. And I can't transfer my progress to this new app. A very strange problem I have.

You absolutely, positively, must purchase Puzzlium: Prologue. There is a terrific balance of easy, medium & hard puzzles.  It will keep you busy for many many moons.


There's a great number of easy puzzles to get your kids hooked.


Simply put, outstanding job to all the Grabarchuks!

A very surprising math lesson.

http://numberphile.com/videos/analytical_continuation1.html


What is the sum of 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +.......to infinity?  Should be infinity right?


Check out this video. It's about 7 minutes long. You do not need to know calculus to follow the logic.


Please share your thoughts about this in the comments section.

Hashi Bridge: free puzzle app game for ipad, iphone

Hashi Bridge is a free puzzle app game https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hashi-bridge/id792603343?mt=8.

The object is to connect the numbered circles to other circles.  A 4 means that there will be 4 bridges to other circles.  Two circles may have 2 bridges between them, no more.

There are 130 levels.  I've done so many Hashi puzzles...they're good, but I don't feel the addiction.

IQube Lite: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

IQube Lite is a rolling cube puzzle game. I've seen numerous mechanical versions and a bunch of virtual games.  The object is to roll your cubes around to create various patterns.

Definitely okay, but not original or particularly fun. Then again, I've done so many of these in the past. Give it a try.



https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iqubepuzzle-lite-for-ipad/id794316974?mt=8

Blocks! The Most Addictive Game: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Blocks! The Most Addictive Game is one of those, make a chain and watch the top blocks fall down.

We've seen this type of point scoring puzzle app so many times. However, this one's got a time element. How many can you string together in 60 seconds.

I must confess: I really like this speed challenge.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blocks!-most-addictive-game/id799029998?l=es&ls=1&mt=8



Unroll Me - Unblock the slots: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Unroll Me - Unblock the slots is a free puzzle app game that's actually kind of fun. As soon as you turn the game on, the white ball will start rolling - slowly. You must quickly shuffle the tiles around to create a path to get it to the red square.  See the silver squares? They're fixed in place.

There are 20 free levels and I must admit, they're fun. I solved the first 18.. Unroll Me is a great combination of arcade and puzzle.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/unroll-me-unblock-the-slots/id769574372?mt=8

Knotty Ropes: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw Knotty Ropes listed as a puzzle game app.



It's actually just another Planarity type game where you have to move the points around so that no lines intersect.

I've played hundreds of levels of this type of game before. So I'm kind of done with this genre. However, I actually love the user interface. it's elegant, appealing and I actually enjoyed these.


https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/knotty-ropes/id777324303?mt=8

Happy Hexagons: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Happy Hexagons is very similar to Flood It.  The object is to turn all of the hexagons into the same color.  You start with your man being in the top left corner.  If the hexagons adjacent are red, then you turn yourself red and absorb the newcomers.  Like the Borg in Star Trek.

We've seen this type of puzzle many times before.  Nothing great. But you get a smiley face when you succeed with a certain number of moves.




Neon Thrust: puzzle app game for iphone, ipad



Neon Thrust came out in 2011. But it was recently promoted as being free, so that's how I discovered it. It's really an arcade game. 



The object is to propel your man, the green square with a jet pack, to pick up the green squares and shining star, and then return home to the yellow line. If you see any red squares or line, try not to touch them or you'll be killed.
There are 60 levels and I've done 11. My hand/eye coordination is just not good enough for #12. 

Neon Thrust is not a pure puzzle, but it's fun!


https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/neon-thrust/id451117107?mt=8



Quell Memento: puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Quell Memento is the latest from the Quell line of puzzles.  They're all very good tilt maze games.


The object in Quell Memento is to pick up all the tokens.  There are wormholes, and spikes that will kill you.  All of the puzzles are challenging.  The overall theme, graphics, interplay - very slick.



What's new in Quell Memento? Well, now you must pass by the colored tiles and change their color.


There are 150 puzzles - all in an old house. (If you've been following this blog, you must know that I turn off the volume and ignore whatever story is behind the puzzles.)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnemX6xn0Ss

Buffalooh: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

About 2 years ago I wrote about Grooh . About 6 months ago I wrote about Colorooh. I really liked both games a lot. The same company has recently produced Buffalooh.




Buffalooh resembles Fling and Lunar Lockout.  The object is to bump the bison one at a time off the grid until only 1 is left.  Bonus points for you if the last buffalo standing is golden.  There are 50 of these levels and they're good!


Here's where the game is different from Fling: If the bison is going to crash into another bison's flank, he will occupy that bison's space.  If the bison crashes into him head-on, he will land in the square right before him. Finally, if he crashes into the bison's rear end, that bison will then gallop off in that direction.




There is another game within the app that is very similar called Coins.  Here, the object is still to get 1 bison left standing. The second objective is to have the departing bison pick up the gold coins on their way out.  Again, 50 levels.

Another version is called Happy 3. Here the object is to end up with 3 buffalos, but they must end up on specific squares.  I've done all of these levels and enjoyed them. Some are too easy though.


The fourth version of Buffalooh is a timed exercise. How many of the regular puzzles can you solve before time runs out. I'm #5 on the Leaderboard.


Buffalooh is definitely worth your leisure time! It's free!


https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/buffalooh/id699586630?mt=8








1 to 25 Number Challenge: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

'1 to 25 Numbers Challenge' comes from Peter Li. It is a game where you have 10 seconds to tap the numbers 1-25 in order. For each game, the numbers are scrambled. You can study them. As soon as you start, your time starts.



I've done all 25 in under 25 seconds a bunch of times.   This is fun, but once you've done it a few times, the novelty wears off. I think this game would be excellent for Alzheimer's patients.  Keep the brain/finger connections sharp! 


https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/1-to-25-numbers-challenge/id718096750?mt=8

The Pyramid Puzzle: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Check out the cool art work. The object of The Pyramid Puzzle is to align the tiles so the colors match.

I did level 1 in about 5 minutes. The graphics are actually pretty slick when you want to rotate a piece.

Level 2 costs $.99 and it appears that there's no level 3!

Sorry, this will never appear on any list of Best Puzzle Apps of 2014.

'Colors - the Addictive Game': free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Colors - the Addictive Game: is a topology type puzzle game app.  Look at the image: The object is to connect a path from one dark blue circle to the other dark blue circle.  You must pass over either: other blue circles, gray circles or circles with stars in them.  When you have succeeded, those circles will all turn gray.

Then you must do the same for the other colors.

About the circles with stars: if you traverse one of those circles, you will not be able to use them again. Even more: you will no be able to use any of the other circles in that path - if you used a star.

There are 100 levels. I've done all the free ones - 49. I was stuck on level 6, not really sure what the rules were.  Once I got past it, I did the rest of the levels pretty quickly.

Colors - the Addictive Game is definitely fun and original.


https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/colors-the-addictive-game/id783783316?mt=8



Island hOpping: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Ripoff Alert: Island hOpping appears to be an exact copy of ThinkFun's River Crossing. 


Not only that, there are only 2 free levels. What makes matters worse is that the developer doesn't seem to realize that 'your man' can and should stand on the poles.


Everything about this is simply dreadful.


You can play Plank Puzzles online here: http://clickmazes.com/planks/ixplanks.htm


About 10 years ago ThinkFun produced 4 versions of Plank Puzzles with their standard 40 challenge cards, plastic/wood pieces. They called it River Crossing.



9 (Free): puzzle app game for iphone, ipad



9 (Free) comes from http://iojoe.com/9/.  Last year he produced another puzzle app game called 10 that had the same objective: slide the numbered tiles around so they crash into each other and form 9.

The gray X's?  They are fixed and numbers cannot crash into them.



I have not played this game much because I still have not finished all of the levels from 10 which I really liked a lot.


http://gottasolveit.blogspot.com/2013/10/10-free-puzzle-app-game-for-iphone-ipad.html

https://itunes.apple.com/app/id774887814

'Parks - Seasons Free Brain Teasers' puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

'Parks - Seasons Free Brain Teasers' comes from Andrea Sabbatini. Andrea produced '84 Logic Games'. I reviewed that ages ago when it was called '63 Logic Games'.




The object in Parks is to place 2 trees in each colored region. Trees cannot touch - not even diagonally.  Also, 2 trees must be placed in each row and column.


For the smaller grids, like the one pictured above, you must place 1 tree in each column, row & region.




About a year and a half ago I reviewed Twin Beams, which is basically the same concept.  Click here to read that.
Parks Season is a fine set of puzzles, but I must confess that Twin Beams is more polished.  On the plus side, Parks Seasons has the very easy puzzles for novice puzzlers.

Muddle Nut: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

Muddle Nut is a free puzzle app game. The objective is to move the dots around so that none of the lines intersect.

We've seen this type of puzzle app many times before. Nothing new here.