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Friday, December 14, 2018

Mindom by Peng Wan FREE

 Mindom comes from Peng Wan. It's a gem. The object is to move the yellow square in the bottom grid to control the blue square in the grid above and get to its destination.
More advanced levels include a sokoban element with wormhole for either the yellow or blue squares. 

What's particularly interesting is that sometimes the grid below is smaller than the one above. It leads to some very interesting puzzles.

There are some 400 levels.  At the moment I've done about 120.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mindom/id1256841183?mt=8

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Golf Peaks by Lukasz Spierewka $2.99

 Loyal Blog Follower Robert point this interesting game out to me: Golf Peaks by Lukasz Spierewka. It's a very solid game where the object is pretty obvious.
Look at the 2nd image.  On the bottom are 5 cards. Your task is to figure out which card to use, and in which order, and in which direction to aim the ball, to reach the goal. A  number that's underlined with a 3 means that the ball will travel 3 spaces.  If a 1 has a loop around and above it, that means that the ball will jump.  Used for sandtraps and the like.
Golf Peaks is essentially a maze game. There are 72 levels (4 rounds of golf).  I've done 36.

There's a lot to like about this game: the graphics are good. The puzzles are challenging. But all the levels can be solved almost blindly with trial and error. I'm not feeling compelled to complete them all.  This is a very very solid game.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/golf-peaks/id1419542293?mt=8  $2.99

https://store.steampowered.com/app/923260/Golf_Peaks/ $4.99

https://afterburn.itch.io/golf-peaks  $4.99

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Flow Free: Warps! Update

Check out my progress in Flow Free: Warps!

Unquestionably, some of these were tough and took a while.

I started playing this game a little more than a year ago. Now it's become a habit to solve the daily puzzles first thing in the morning.

https://gottasolveit.blogspot.com/2017/11/flow-free-warps-by-big-duck-games-llc.html





Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Rusty Lake Paradise $2.99

I'm a huge fan of the Rusty Lake series. The games can best be classified as a combination of horror/room escapes/adventure/puzzle.
 Paradise takes place on an island.  There are 10 plagues to delve into.
If you've ever played a Rusty Lake game, then you can expect: strange creatures, a ghost, weird puzzles. Animal heads.
At the moment, I'm on the 9th plague.

Update 1/5/2019: I finally finished this game.  Additional thoughts:

1. Too much time is spent going back and forth.  There should be a map which enables the user to quickly go from place to place.

2. I finished the game having only captured only half of the souls.  I have no idea how I missed them!

3. Having played so many of these Rusty Lake games (see list below), I'm starting to feel like they're all the same. what was fresh, strange with horror, and clever with puzzles, has seemingly become stale.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id1253855339
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.com.RustyLake.RustyLakeParadise&hl=en
https://store.steampowered.com/app/744190/Rusty_Lake_Paradise/  $3.99

Other Rusty Lake Games I've played and reviewed:

Cube Escape: Birthday
Cube Escape: Case 23
Cube Escape: The Mill
Cube Escape: Harvey's Room
Cube Escape: The Lake
Cube Escape: Arles
Cube Escape: Seasons
Cube Escape: Theater
Cube Escape: The Cave
Rusty Lake: Hotel
Rusty Lake: Roots

Monday, December 3, 2018

Kolumno by DevilishGames $1.99

David Ferriz recently contacted me about his new puzzle game Kolumno. It's a dexterity game.  The object is to get the ball to roll down as the column spins.  There will be gaps for the ball to pass through.  It's all about timing.
From David: This game will also test the player’s reflexes by using special abilities that will let you: stop in mid-air, fall rapidly, shrink or break the rings.  
At the beginning, Kolumno was born as a remake of our classic Zyl (a game played by millions of people in its Flash version at the start of this decade), but during the development we decided to include new abilities that have finally turned Kolumno in something absolutely different, preserving the elegant initial concept and providing a much more complex and elaborate challenge.

I remember playing Zyl a while ago. Hard!  I was impatient.  Kolumno is much the same.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id1440050196
https://www.devilishgames.com/en/about/
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.devilishgames.kolumno

Friday, November 30, 2018

MicMac by Alex Franciol FREE

MicMac comes from Alex Francioli. The object is to place all 9 pieces into the frame so that the M's line up.  Pieces can be flipped and rotated.
Only 1 piece is not an L, and it always has 2 M's to match.

MicMac has 36 levels and I've solved 21 of them, including #36.  Good game.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/micmac/id1438849299?mt=8

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Humbug by Dunderbit FREE

 Huge thanks to Loyal Blog Follower David for steering me in the direction of Humbug by Dunderbit. The object is to get the bugs to the stars within a certain number of moves.  Dunderbit consists of 2 brothers: Jonathan Lindvall and Christoffer Lindvall from Sweden.
1. The snail moves only 1 square at a time.
2. The ladybug moves 2 spaces, unless there's an obstacle, in which case, it can move 1 space.
3. Spiders travel until they hit a wall or another bug.
4. Bees fly across 2 spaces at a time. Unless there's a bug on the landing spot. Then it will go 3 spaces.
5. Butterflies: similar to Bees, they fly across 3 spaces.
6. Grasshoppers move 1 space but can leap over many insects if they're in the way.

The graphics are outstanding.

The complexity of the puzzles is just right: the first 15 -20 are easy. Thereafter, they're tricky, but not impossibly so.

I downloaded the game yesterday and go to level 60 out of 100.

Technically, I paid $2.99 'to remove the ads'. In actuality, I paid the money as a token of appreciation. Everybody: if we want good games, it is our responsibility to pay a small token.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/humbug/id1436145670?mt=8
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dunderbit.humbug

Vubu is a similar game....but totally different. If it's still available, download it.

Monday, November 26, 2018

Initiative Q Coins

Initiative Q is an attempt by ex-PayPal guys to create a new payment system instead of credit cards that were designed in the 1950s. The system uses its own currency, the Q, and to get people to start using the system once it's ready they are allocating Qs for free to people that sign up now (the amount drops as more people join - so better to join early). Signing up is free and they only ask for your name and an email address. There's nothing to lose but if this payment system becomes a world leading payment method your Qs can be worth a lot.

Here is my invite link: https://initiativeq.com/invite/rW3MQl8AQ

 This link will stop working once I’m out of invites. Let me know after you registered, because I need to verify you on my end.

I signed up about 2 weeks ago. So far, no spam emails. I think it's legit. Will it actually come to fruition?  Who knows.

By the way, if you're playing any good puzzle apps, do let me know.

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Antitype by BorderLeap, LLC FREE

 Antitype comes from BorderLeap, LLC.  The object is to figure out what the opposite words are and then tap on the correct sequence to get those words.
Look at image #1.  We know the answer is That/This.

This is where it gets interesting: tap on any letter. That letter will not change. But its vertical &  horizontal neighbors will become the next letter in the alphabet.

400 levels will keep you busy for a while!  At the moment, I've done about 55 levels.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/antitype/id1117100543?mt=8

Friday, November 16, 2018

top logic by Brad Hayes

 Brad Hayes recently contacted me about his newest puzzle top logic.  Brad is the author of 2 other puzzle apps: Route-Out Puzzle from 2013 and Route-Out 2: A Thinking Puzzle from 2015.  I loved them both.
The objective is to place various chess-like pieces (missile launchers) on the grid to fire their missiles into the castles and other missile launchers. A chain reaction must take place.  

Of course there are brick walls which are blockers.
Some castles need multiple missiles to bring down.

These puzzles get hard pretty fast!

Brad has the right attitude: he's creating puzzle apps as a hobby, with no expectation of making any real money.

This game reminds me of Combination from 2012.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/top-logic/id1048198469?mt=8

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Blockuku by Quan Trong FREE

 Blockuku comes from Quan Trong. The object is to place the shapes into the grid to match the numbers on the horizontal and vertical axes.
There are 78 levels and they go pretty fast. Lots of easy levels.  At the moment, I've done about 65. They're getting tougher now.

What could be better:
1. Graphics: change the color scheme every so often.
2. Each grid is a square. This could sometimes be a rectangle.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blockuku/id1439010728?mt=8

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Initiative Q: not a puzzle

Puzzlers: this is not a puzzle. But it's a free offer to get free cyber coins in a new currency. I've gone through their webpage. Seems to me that it has a legitimate shot at catching on.  Signing up will gain you instant free coins. When others sign up that you refer, you'll get additional coins.  When all the coins are distributed, then they commence actually using Qs as real money. Pyramid scheme? Not really, because you're not spending money. Waste of time? Yeah, but it takes about 5 minutes to sign up.

Initiative Q is an attempt by ex-PayPal guys to create a new payment system instead of credit cards that were designed in the 1950s. The system uses its own currency, the Q, and to get people to start using the system once it's ready they are allocating Qs for free to people that sign up now (the amount drops as more people join - so better to join early). Signing up is free and they only ask for your name and an email address. There's nothing to lose but if this payment system becomes a world leading payment method your Qs can be worth a lot.

Here is my invite link: https://initiativeq.com/invite/rW3MQl8AQ

 This link will stop working once I’m out of invites. Let me know after you registered, because I need to verify you on my end.

 This link will stop working once I’m out of invites. Let me know after you registered, because I need to verify you on my end.

Monday, November 5, 2018

Falling Moods by Marina Makarevskaya FREE

Marina Makarevskaya recently contacted me about her new puzzle app game Falling Moods. The object is to tap on the emoji faces on top and have them fall through the cracks to the bottom.

Landing on a solid yellow arrow will make that arrow move 1 space. 
The striped arrows vanish after being hit.
The half/half arrows change direction after being hit.

There are 20 levels and I'm stuck on level 11, at the moment.

Interesting game!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/falling-moods/id1436439469?mt=8

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

block dock! by Adem KAYIRCI $.99

block dock! comes from Adem KAYIRCI. It's very similar to Lunar Lockout from ThinkFun.  The object is to slide Your Men until they land on the target squares.
What's different:
1. When you slide one piece into another, the piece that gets bumped will then travel to a wall or another object, like in the game pool.
2. If a piece is already locked in a target square, it cannot get bumped out. But it can be moved out.
3. The Black dots are NOT wormholes. They are black holes.

There are 88 levels.  Normally, I would cruise through these rapidly. However, because of the chain reaction feature, I'm finding these to be quite challenging. Especially, when none of the targets are placed on the perimeter.

Multiple times I made a mistake, but there's no 'undo' button. My mistake! There is an undo button. But it only undoes 1 move only.

At the moment, level 49 is proving to be quite difficult.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/block-dock/id1437139002?mt=8

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

Similar Games

Slidercrash
Buffalooh
Even Up
Line's Life
Moskeez
Fuzzy Logic
Bumpling
Fling!
Oggoelement
Dots Pairs

Friday, October 26, 2018

ELOH by Broken Rules $2.99

ELOH comes from Christian Baumgartner of Broken Rules.  It's a laser with mirrors puzzle app. We've seen this type of game numerous times. See list below.
 What's Particularly Good
1. The red and yellow reflectors change the color of the beam.
2. Sliders (images 1, 4 and 5)
3. Semi-reflectors (images 1 and 5). These are the vertical-line-mirrors. A yellow beam will pass straight through a yellow mirror, while a red beam will bounce off.
4. Toward the end, brown is the third color to solve.
5. Wormholes. We've seen this many times before. Not sure if they exist in another laser puzzle. However: sometimes the wormholes are on half of a cell while the other half is covered with a tile.  Tapping the tile: they switch places.
There's an interesting musical element to ELOH.  As the balls/beams bounce off, xylophone sounds plunk and pling.

There are supposedly 85 levels but I counted 84 and solved them all.
Christian: good game!

Somebody sent me an email about the fact that I only give credit to one person per game.  True. It's mostly because I'm a bit lazy.  
Andrew Rohrmann did the sound & music.
Jan Hackl did the programming.
Art Direction Team: Daniela Leitner, Lip Comarella, Simon Griesser.

Note to other puzzle app developers: you can't do it all!  Get a team like this.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/eloh/id1406382064?mt=8

Other Laser Puzzles (Not a complete list)
Laser Maze 2015
MatrixLines
HackBeam
Shoot & Reflect 3x3
LaserBox
Photon Lab
Amid Worlds
RouteOut - not a laser game, but uses mirrors
RouteOut 2
Neon Connect
Mirrors & Reflections
Guide the Light
Lasers Free
Laser Logic
Lazors
ReflecTs DS
Laser Glow
logi.
Raytrace

Thursday, October 25, 2018

-look- by Adem KAYIRCI FREE

-look- comes from Adem KAYIRCI. It's a drafting puzzle. The object is to project the 3 dimensional object onto the 3 planar perspectives.
All of Adem's puzzles are 'minimalist' in that: nothing is ever explained. Just figure things out for yourself.
The 3D object can be rotated so this game gets to be fairly easy. I did the first 50 levels very fast. I've stopped at around 90.

This game has 105 levels, which is probably 30 too many.  Still it's fun and fast.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/look/id1310308475?mt=8

Adem's other puzzles
turn,
maze cube
cohex

Friday, October 19, 2018

ColorFold by Martin Pluisch

ColorFold comes from Martin Pluisch.  It's a Ribbon puzzle game. The object is to drag the ribbons across the board to cover squares of the same color.  Key: ribbons can be folded, but not over any of the target squares.
Colorbind (see link below) was the first game to utilize this concept. It's outstanding. Sadly, it's no longer available. It came out in 2010. (Theoretically, old ipads that have this game should be worth more!)
Let's get back to ColorFold. It's very similar and very good.

What's different
1. Random black squares are scattered in the grid to prevent the movement of ribbons.
2. Wormholes: this is a common element in puzzle apps, but it's the first one in a ribbon game.
3. Forced Movement: when there are blue and tan ribbons, the blue ribbon forces an opposite movement in tan. Very interesting: there are a few levels where blue can keep going, but tan gets stopped.

There are 100 levels and they're not too hard. Which is good because I like feeling smart.

Here's an idea for future puzzles: how about when a ribbon goes through a wormhole, it comes out with a different color?

Good game Martin!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/colorfold/id1418593600?mt=8


Other Ribbon Puzzles
Ribbons Puzzle Game
The Weaver
Ribbon Puzzle
TAPES - similar to Colorbind. Excellent
Woven - easy
Colorbind - the first of its kind. Genius
Twisted Lines - very hard
Spreadset Easy til you get to level 7 or 8