Merge into One by Jose Varela FREE

Merge into One comes from Jose Varela. The object is to combine the elements until only 1 remains.  Look at the second image to see the rules.

This game goes pretty fast.  I think there are 40 or so levels.  I solved them all very quickly.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/merge-into-one/id1460578569?mt=8

Unfoldit by Clifford Panos FREE

Unfoldit comes from Clifford Panos.  Imagine a square piece of paper has been folded and some holes have been punched.  Can you determine where the holes would be if the paper were unfolded?  That's the object.

Sure, some of the folds are easy: horizontal & vertical and perfectly diagonally.  But things get complicated when there are multiple folds. I particularly like the challenges where a vertical fold is followed by a partial diagonal fold.

I solved all the 'easy' levels. 272 of them!  I waited about a month for Clifford to upload the medium levels.  Of which, there are some 500 levels!  They're much tougher!

The graphics are outstanding. This game is a winner!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/unfoldit/id1248922247?mt=8

eceo by Adem KAYIRCI FREE

eceo comes from Adem KAYIRCI.  The object is to get all the switches to be either on or off.  Each individual switch has its own controls.  

Look at the third image.  The switch on the upper left may control the entire row.  The switch on the bottom left my control a diagonal.

These puzzles can get pretty difficult.

There are 100 levels. I've solved about 40 of them.

Below is a list of other games from Adem.  My favorite of the bunch is cohex.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/eceo/id1451039042?mt=8

Adem's other puzzles
turn,
maze cube
cohex
-look-
block dock!

Folding Blocks by Popcore GmbH FREE

Folding Blocks comes from Popcore GmbH. The object is to unfold individual squares to form rectangles to eventually completely cover the grid.  It's not hard.  I've done about 30 levels out of 200. 

This game is reminiscent of Rect Pushers from 2015. If you find this game too easy, try Rect Pushers. Similar concept but more sophisticated game mechanics.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/folding-blocks/id1459650728?mt=8

Flow Fit - Word Puzzle by Big Duck Games LLC FREE

Flow Fit - Word Puzzle comes from Big Duck Games LLC, the makers of the famous Flow series.

Their new game is fitting word fragments together.

The graphics are great.  The puzzle sets have themes.  I've solved about 50 levels in the easy, medium & hard modes.

A lot of puzzles are free. But the ones to purchase: too pricey.  There should be just one price, say $5.

Many of the puzzles have been created by various accomplished wordsmiths.  I like that the individuals are named.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flow-fit-word-puzzle/id1411086150?mt=8

Ten Buttons by Gamezaur Free

 Ten Buttons comes from Gamezaur.  It's a point-scoring puzzle app game.  Do you know the game Othello? White pieces are flipped to black if a new white piece is placed and it sandwiches those white pieces with a pre-existing white piece along another row/column/diagonal.

That's the idea here. However, your task is to move a pre-existing piece to an empty space and create 10 of 1 color.  When that happens, scissors appear to remove them.

The game ends when you've run out of room.

I've played this game just once. Took a while. My score was somewhere around 500.
https://itunes.apple.com/pl/app/id1439778900

Sync Maze by Hangzhou Qingguang Network Co., Ltd. FREE

Sync Maze comes from Hangzhou Qingguang Network Co., Ltd. The object is to get Your Man/Men to their targets.  All tiles slide together as far as possible. 

I cruised through the first 30 levels very rapidly.  The next 30 too more effort and I did not get 3 stars for each level.

Altogether there are 240 levels. Which is 140 more than ideal.

Sync Maze has very good graphics and is a pure puzzle.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sync-maze/id1459596658?mt=8

Math | Riddles and Puzzles by Saltuk Emre Gul

Math | Riddles and Puzzles comes from Saltuk Emre Gul. There are 60 levels of finding math patterns and sequences.  

At the moment, I'm stuck on level 30 which reads as follows:
126 = 76
132 = 32
208 = 58
261 = ?

Never mind, I just got it.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-riddles-and-puzzles/id1455734504?mt=8

Pinball Color by Spaceloom Studios AB FREE

Pinball Color comes from Spaceloom Studios AB.  There are some 50 levels with all sorts of objectives.

I spent forever on level 23 and watched in disbelief that my solutions were not working.  Until, it magically worked. 

At the moment, I'm stuck on level 34, which is the second image.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pinball-color/id1457824267?mt=8

Other Pinball Apps
Pinball Sniper
Pinout!
Pinball Star
Pinball Breaker

Orixo by Logisk Studio Inc. FREE

Orixo comes from Logisk Studio Inc.  The object is to cover the entire grid by swiping the numbered tiles in any direction.

Do you remember Zhed from 2 years ago? It's similar, but not quite the same thing.

There are 160 levels and at the moment, I've solved about 110.  This game is highly polished, fun and not too hard.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/orixo/id1449230416?mt=8

Topsoil by Nico Prins FREE

 Topsoil comes from Nico Prins. Technically, it's another 'match-3' puzzle.  But it's far more sophisticated.  Your task is to place 3 plants on the grid, and then do some harvesting (scoring points).

Harvesting
1. A single square can be harvested.
2. Better to harvest a group of plants - provided their base is the same: either blue, green or yellow.
3. Suppose you have 4 fuzzy balls connected, but only 2 have a green base and the other 2 have a blue base.  You only can collect 2.
4. After harvesting, a green base will become blue, blue becomes yellow and yellow becomes green.
5. There's an important multiplier factor.  Which essentially gives this game a gambling element. Should I collect my 5 wheat now, or hope for more?
6. The Big T's (not shown in the images) will whither and blow away after 3 rounds. Of course, there are times when they must be harvested.

My thoughts
1. The key to getting a high score is to not gamble! 
2. When the T's start coming, that's when it's safe to gamble.
3. If you play the game a lot, birds will be added to your crops and those birds will increase your harvest points.  Theoretically, this is a great.  However, I've played this game a lot!  And I still have not earned the right to get birds in my pine trees. I'll need another month to earn birds for my oaks.

This game cannot be played quickly. Reminds me a bit of Bee Cells.

There's a $3.99 fee to remove ads. 
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/topsoil/id1104709870?mt=8

Knight's Tour Puzzle by Carlos Magan FREE

Knight's Tour Puzzle comes from Carlos Magan.  The object is to place your knight on the board and move to all the squares exactly once.  Carlos has done a great job of introducing interesting shapes.

A true story: 30 years ago I was sitting in a pointless grad school class. The fellow next to me introduced this puzzle to me. The 5x5 grid.  Loved it.  The class seats were arranged in an open rectangle.  I always waited for the professor to sit first. Then I would sit on the same side, as far away as possible.  The class was stupid and pointless! But required. (Like a lot of education courses unfortunately)  I attended every class for 14 weeks. And did these Knight's Tour puzzles.  I solved all the grids from 5x5 to 15x15.  And proved that all nxn where n>4 is possible.

I wrote 2 papers and got a B+.

There's more to the story of how bad that professor was. You'll have to ask me in person for the rest. But don't we all have stories of boring/meaningless classes?
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/knights-tour-puzzle/id1454835958?mt=8

SudoCubed by Highway North Interactive Inc. FREE/$.99

SudoCubed comes from Highway North Interactive Inc.

Edges are matched from adjacent faces.

I only did the 1 free level.  What I like: there's a button that will highlight all the mistakes.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sudocubed/id1450212225?mt=8

Other Innovative Sudoku Puzzle Apps
Kropk'i Sudoku  This is really a Latin Square with a couple of innovative ideas. It plays fast.
Quindoku Same as Logi5Puzz
Logi5Puzz  Same as NumDom. But NumDom has larger grid sizes.
Spindoku is totally different, but still very cool.
Hi-Lo Sudoku is one of my favorite variations.
Cryptdoku I played it so long ago, but it's cool. Long gone from the App Store.
Stimko Gold - outstanding version of squiggly Sudoku.  Handcrafted puzzles.
Kakooma - interesting for about 3 levels
RollDoku - never even solved 1 level, so hard
Cohabit- played this on my ipod touch - before ipad was invented
FlowDoKu - one of my favorites. Will not delete this.
Sudoku Mine combines Sudoku with Minesweeper
Sudoku Killer  combines Sudoku with Kakuro. I've spent a lot of time on this one. I can do the easy levels in about 10 minutes.
3Doku - a cubic version of Sudoku
Pokergreen Puzzles - a poker version of Sudoku
Star Sudoku
Sudoku Maze
Sudoku Spin
Sudoku Sweeper

Split Puzzle by Feng Gao FREE

Split Puzzle comes from Feng Gao. The object is to split the yellow shape into 2 or 3 pieces that will then fit perfectly onto the dark shape above.

Rules:
1. Shapes can never have less than 2 units.
2. What's never clear: is how many divisions are allowed for each puzzle. Sometimes it's 2 or 3.
3.  If the dark shape has 2 squares with 2 white lines: that means the shapes that fit over them must have the same # of units.
4.  If the dark shape has 2 squares with 3 white lines: the shapes that fit over them must be identical.

There are over 100 levels.  I stopped at level 43 because there was clearly a glitch in the program. I tried to contact the developer, but was unable. So I did the next best thing and reported this glitch in the review section on the App Store.

This game is quite good!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/split-puzzle/id1412730729?mt=8

Across: Word Puzzle Game by Victor Grachev

 Across: Word Puzzle Game comes from Victor Grachev. The objective is to connect the fragments to form words that fit together.

 The words are tied together along a central theme.

At first I thought this was too easy. It does get tricky.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/across-word-puzzle-game/id1456390145?mt=8

Colour Chess by Mipmap FREE

Colour Chess comes from Mipmap.  From the App Store: A colourful reimagining of traditional Chess, this is the mobile version of the award-winning and Mensa-nominated tabletop game Colour Chess.

It focuses on skill and creativity rather than studying set openings, as you use the colours to force and trap your opponent with a game that is different every time.

Simple to learn for beginners, yet strategically deep enough for Masters. 

I have not play tested this game.  But I find this game intriguing.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/colour-chess/id1390227327?mt=8

Cubesc: Dream of Mira by Cagri Gecin $.99

Cagri Gecin recently contacted me about his newest game  Cubesc: Dream of Mira. This is the second game in this type. (Read my review of his first game Cubesc here.)

The objective is the same: get Mira, to traverse all of the squares and end at the goal.
Many of the features of the first game are also present in this game.
There are wormholes.
Platforms can materialize and shift.
The artwork and music are very nice.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cubesc-dream-of-mira/id1414794623
http://redelsoft.net/

Hexagon Line by xiaolie ren FREE

Hexagon Line comes from xiaolie ren.  The object is to stretch the black lines to create new nodules and match the image above.

It's a fun little game. Not hard.  There are 600 levels and I've done about 50.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hexagon-line/id1455323245?mt=8

Red Ball Out by Abdulrahman Alharbi FREE

 Red Ball Out comes from Abdulrahman Alharbi. The object is to slide the red ball until it hits a wall and eventually reach the exit.

There are 132 levels.  I've done 36. Not too hard.  Good for young puzzlers.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/red-ball-out/id1450802799?mt=8

Loop Loop Puzzle by Marcelo Pars

Loop Loop Puzzle comes from Marcelo Pars. The object is to rotate the individual curved pipes to form closed loops.

 The images tell the whole story.

This game is very similar to Marcelo's other game Cage it. But it seems that Loop Loop is more artistic.

There are 200 levels. I'm nowhere close to being done. This is a good game to relax to.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/loop-loop-puzzle/id1450194872?mt=8

Marcelo's other games
Save Planet Cube
Cube Loop
Cubicks Free
Cage It

boul:karé by Studio Laganne FREE

boul:karé comes from Studio Laganne.  The object is to get the blue circle and blue square to gobble up the diamonds.

 Tap once to activate the blue circle and swipe in any direction.  Tap again to activate the blue square.

There are 55 levels. They're not too hard.  And they go pretty fast.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/boul-kar%C3%A9/id1449012681?mt=8

Hatch..! by Abhishek Malpani FREE

 Hatch..! comes from Abhishek Malpani. The object is to slide the colored eggs to their nests.  Moving an egg to the wrong color: game over.

I've solved about 80 levels.  Not hard. They go very fast.  Definitely check out the list below if you like this genre.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hatch/id1453968961?mt=8

Similar games (this list is incomplete):

Movez  Pretty much the same as Block Mania but it has 1680 levels. I've solved 592 of them. That's probably enough.
Frozen Ice Cubes  What's different: there's a point of 'no return'
Escapology, reviewed by Nicola Salmoria. He told me about this game ages ago. I played it and enjoyed it, but never blogged about it.
Block Mania Similar to Movez
Move Puzzle - A Funny Strategy Game, Matching Tiles Within Finite Moves 
Zink - color merging and locked doors.
Vubu What's different: the vubu men have different powers. Very sophisticated, very intelligent. Possibly the very best in this genre.
Move: A Brain Shifting GameUnmind
Puzzle Dots Game
Box Home Love to play Hexagonal grid
Find the Way
Cube Puzzler

Kube Keeper by Jeffrey Supit FREE

 Kube Keeper comes from Jeffrey Supit. It's a sokoban puzzle.  The object is to push the blocks one-at-a-time onto the spots.  Then pick up some stars and get to the exit.

It's been a while since we played a sokoban puzzle.  Kube Keeper has 100 levels.  I solved them all in about 2.5 hours.  These puzzles are in the medium difficulty.  If you've done a lot of sokoban as I have, see list below, this game is really just to pass the time.  Nothing significantly new.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kube-keeper/id1447768061?mt=8

Other Good Sokoban Puzzles
A Good Snowman is Hard to Build Charming
Go to Gold - superb
Go to Gold 2 - I hope a third version comes out.
Pepe Porcupine
Sokoban Cargo
Push Box Sokoban
Push Around
Boxed In - loved this. First in a series of 4.
Pengu Push
BoxWorld - awesome. I still remember struggling through levels 26 and 35 for days.
Fireman Arcade
Paper & Light
Square Push Square
Professor Max
Puzzling Cubes
DJ Mole
Sokoban Evolution 
Test Chamber - brilliant
Duck Roll surprisingly very good
Color Labyrinth - excellent 
Cuzzle

Gorogoa by Annapurna Interactive $4.99

Gorogoa has been on my radar for a while. It's  hard to describe.  The object is to get Your Man, the boy/young man/old man to gather 5 pieces of fruit.

 Your screen will have usually 4 picture windows.  Sometimes fewer.  The windows can move around, zoomed in/out. Most importantly, they can be aligned in a way so that Your Man can travel from 1 window to another.

 The artwork is fantastic.  The puzzles: not exceptionally hard, but very satisfying.

The story: for you to interpret. What do you see in the images and how does it relate to Your Man.  While others might say it's the strongest element of this game, I found it to be incomplete.

If you're buying the latest, biggest ipad, treat yourself to this game. Don't rush through it.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gorogoa/id1269225754