The Best iphone, ipad Puzzle Apps and Mechanical Puzzles

'Directional - Gem Matching Game'

2013-05-17T08:20:00.000-04:00

'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

2013-05-16T08:21:00.001-04:00

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

2013-05-15T08:11:00.000-04:00

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

2013-05-14T08:24:00.000-04:00

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.

Kvaadratium: free puzzle game app for iphone, ipad

2013-05-13T09:19:00.002-04:00

Kvaadratium 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

2013-05-10T08:26:00.000-04:00

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

2013-05-09T08:45:00.000-04:00

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

2013-05-08T08:15:00.000-04:00

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

2013-05-07T08:07:00.000-04:00

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

2013-05-06T08:54:00.000-04:00

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

2013-05-03T09:37:00.000-04:00

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

2013-05-02T09:37:00.000-04:00

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

2013-05-01T08:08:00.000-04:00

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

2013-04-30T08:21:00.000-04:00

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

2013-04-29T08:39:00.000-04:00

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

2013-04-26T10:34:00.000-04:00

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

2013-04-25T08:14:00.000-04:00

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

2013-04-24T09:12:00.000-04:00

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.

Chemin: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad Review

2013-04-23T08:29:00.003-04:00

Chemin is by Enrique Brandariz: http://www.enriquebrandariz.com/chemin/CheminEN/Home.html

You are given numbered red squares - already fixed in the grid. Your task is to till the missing numbers so that there is a snake pattern from start to finish. By the way, the word Chemin means road in French.

The grid sizes are 4x4, 5x5, 6x6 and 7x7. 25 levels per grid size. I raced through them and completed everything within 2 days.

The concept is not new. Marilyn vos Savant, supposedly the smartest person in the world, calls her version Numbrix. So I've been doing these for ages.

Chemin's user interface allows you to play this game very quickly. However, it does not allow you to place the higher numbers first. You must place the smallest numbers first.

Enrique Brandariz tells me that he's working on more levels and there will be an ipad version.

Did I mention that Chemin is free? Download this right away.

7 Planets: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad - Review

2013-04-22T08:19:00.004-04:00

7 Planets comes from Tomislav Puzak of http://7planets.net
The object is to slide the balls by rows and columns so that all the violet balls are at the top, then the dark blue, blue, green, yellow, etc.

When you swipe, all the balls in that row will travel as far as possible.

It's not hard. However, young puzzlers should definitely feel challenged. There is a leaderboard to compare your time with the world at large.

I have not played the harder levels that have wooden blocks that are fixed in random places. But I have played it 4 times. Probably the most interesting thing is the move counter. If the balls are all randomly placed at the start, what is the minimum # of moves that will solve it?

I learned about 7 Planets from Apps Gone Free. I don't know how long it will be free, so give it a shot.

TapGem: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

2013-04-19T09:26:00.002-04:00

TapGem is a very interesting puzzle app game. The object is to place 4 gems on each colored region and ensure that each row and column has the correct number of gems as indicated. See the left margin and the row of numbers on the top.

If a number is in black, then you have satisfied the correct number of gems in that row or column. You can then white out the other squares because they cannot have gems.

There are 60 free levels. I've done all the easy and medium levels. Here's what I don't like: many of these puzzles have multiple solutions: 2, 4 or even more solutions! Major ugh.

When you open a level: some gems are already given to you.

This concept was done not too long ago in another app called 63 Logic Games. Which I don't see on the iTunes store anymore.

I recommend Twin Beams. Much better puzzle app for a variety of reasons. 1. No clues are given. 2. The rules make the puzzles more challenging. 3. ONLY 1 SOLUTION PER PUZZLE. 4. Graphics are much better. 5. Statistics indicate how fast you can solve the puzzles. 6. You get a lot more puzzles for your money. 7. Twin Beams has a button to undo multiple moves. 8. When a row or column or area is complete, it does the mop-up work for you so you can solve them faster.

Back to TapGem: I've been doing the hard levels. What I really like is that the colored areas are split. For example the orange squares are not necessarily connected to each other. I have done 5 of the 20 hard levels. They're good. But still, some of them have multiple solutions.

Here's another way to explain my frustration: have you ever solved a logic problem with clues and a grid? They go something like this: 5 people live in 5 different houses in a row, and have different dogs. Mr. Jones does not live on either end but he does own the Dalmatian. For those kinds of logic problems, there is only 1 correct answer - always. It would be maddening otherwise.

So that's how I feel about TapGem. But I still like it.

Puzzle Blocks HD: free puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

2013-04-18T11:29:00.001-04:00

Puzzle Blocks HD is maze type puzzle. The object is to move your red dot along the black squares to get to the open red circle. Along the way, pick up the yellow stars.

White squares: can be traversed twice. Black squares disappear after you pass over them. The blue squares act as a single wormhole.

There are 20 free puzzles. I've done them all. After that, each set costs $.99.

I like this puzzle app.

L-Game: free abstract strategy game for iphone, ipad

2013-04-17T08:19:00.000-04:00

Edward de Bono created The L-Game in the 1960s. It's a very simple game to learn. Move your red L to any available spot on the board. You may rotate and flip your piece. Then move either of the green pieces to another location so that your blue opponent cannot move.

Small board. Simple rules. This game can take a long time to play out. It's a great abstract strategy game for 2 people.

There was another version of this published on the app store. Check my blog from October 2012. That version has a better user interface.

IQ Epilogue: puzzle app game for iphone, ipad

2013-04-16T09:02:00.001-04:00

IQ Epilogue comes from http://www.yummy-factory.com/. This is the same people who made IQ Mission which had 7 or 8 sets of good puzzles.

You are given a map of 3 cities. Each has a set of unique puzzles.

Look at the second image. It's a very interesting maze. You are the coin and must get to the gold square. Notice the arrows? When you enter them, they will rotate. Also the red tiles are connected. Anytime you rotate one red square, they all rotate.

There are 36 of these maze puzzles. Definitely challenging and fun. I'm stuck on level 13 or 14.

Century Puzzle: old time math puzzle, now an app.

2013-04-15T09:42:00.000-04:00

Bakos Lucian recently contacted me about his new puzzle app game: Century Puzzle. The object is to swivel the rings so that each column of numbers adds up to 100.

This is a very old type of puzzle. I have a paper version of this - it was hard to solve. But I did it. I'm not sure where it is, but I think it has 5 rings.

Century Puzzle has 6 rings - a lot more difficult!

There are 100 levels here. I don't expect this puzzle to gain popularity because once you've done 1, there's no urge to do 99 others. Other shapes would add variety - triangles, maybe a Jewish star.

The graphics are really nice.