The iPhone has seen its share of match'em and make'em disappear puzzle games, so what makes Crayon Ball stand out in the crowd? Could it be its unique art style? Could it be its physics-based twist on a decades old genre? Could it just be that it's just classic puzzling fun? Whatever it is I picked it up a week ago and I just can't seem to put it down.
The iPhone has seen its share of match'em and make'em disappear puzzle games, so what makes Crayon Ball stand out in the crowd? Could it be its unique art style? Could it be its physics-based twist on a decades old genre?Could it just be that it's just classic puzzling fun? Whatever it is I picked it up a week ago and I just can't seem to put it down.
In typical puzzle action, the object of the game is to match 4 or more colored balls to make them disappear. But don't let that concept mistake you; Crayon Ball is no typical puzzler. Rather than relying on swapping pieces around to find working combinations, Crayon Ball utilizes a physics engine that will have you attempting to guide balls to their matches using the power of gravity. Touching a ball will pop it, allowing the balls it was supporting to tumble in a very realistic fashion.It's this tumbling motion that makes up the bulk of the gameplay.
Crayon-inspired graphics are making a small but fantastic impression in the gaming community as of late.
Crayon Physics used it. Jelly Car used it.And now, Crayon Ball uses it.Each of these games offered up a certain child-like whimsy, and bringing a childs art tools to life is visually indicative of that charm.It's a simple art style, but it's very effective.Seeing crayon art animated has a sort of wonder about it, even when it's something as simple as balls rolling on top of each other as you'll see here.If for some reason you're not on board with the crayon revolution, don't worry; Crayon Ball offers five different themes to pick from that alter the balls appearance.Most of these are variations on what you've seen (pencil crayons, for example), but the Van Gogh set is breathtaking and an excellent alternative to the default.
While the game excels in both gameplay and art, it falls flat in the audio department. The game consists of three sounds — falling balls, matching balls, and popping balls. While the sound effects used for these are all well and good, Crayon Balls total lack of a musical soundtrack is both surprising and sad. I would have loved to have heard something other than the sounds of my own thoughts, but that's all the developers decided to leave me with.
For a game so full of charm, leaving us dry in the audio bits seems downright silly.
While it may appear to be a traditional falling-blocks puzzle game at first, the physics-based gameplay in Crayon Ball puts a neat spin on a well-worn puzzle concept.If you're a fan of games like Puyo Pop or Puzzle League, you'll love this new take on a familiar formula.
