Sprinkle Islands Preview

It’s time to get soaking wet again in Sprinkle Islands.

Summer is here. It’s time to think very hard about sprinklers. Do you like the sprinklers that wave back and forth? Or do you prefer the ones that spit from side to side and go “pft-pft-pft?” Maybe you’d rather go full-tilt and play in the full blast of a fireman’s hose. Well, the good news is that Sprinkle Islands, the sequel to 2011’s water-physics puzzle game Sprinkle, is coming to iOS and Android—and it’s bringing a whole firetruck full of the wet stuff over to you.

Ouie, the blue hero who was featured in Sprinkle, is back. So is his water-squirting firetruck. Ouie must leap into action to save the lives of villagers living on Titan, one of Saturn’s moons. See, Titan’s natives dig living in huts made of straw and wood: neither of which is very fireproof. Worse, the moon is crawling with aliens that enjoy setting themselves on fire and then rolling all over the natives’ homes. You can see the problem.

There are 48 levels for Ouie to work through, and each one is filled with water-based puzzles that require the little alien to trigger switches, buttons, and elevators. Ouie’s firetruck can also move, which adds a layer of complexity to the experience—and there are boss battles to contend with now, too.

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Even if the action in Sprinkle Islands isn’t always peaceful, the graphics definitely are. With the crystal-blue water lapping gently at objects and cascading everywhere, you’ll want to jump into a cold swimming pool. Make sure you put your smartphone down before you do so.

Sprinkle Islands is coming to the App Store and Google Play for $1.99 on July 11.

Nadia Oxford

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In the early aughts, Nadia fell into writing with the grace of a brain-dead bison stumbling into a chasm. Over the years, she's written for Nerve, GamePro, 1UP.com, USGamer, Pocket Gamer, Just Labs Magazine, and many other sites and magazines of fine repute. She's currently About.com's Guide to the Nintendo 3DS at ds.about.com.