Once upon a time, there were a bunch of little paper monsters who sat around a lot. They didn't move, they didn't do anything productive, and they generally just got in the way. And then, one day, the Paper Munchers showed up with their huge mouths and razor teeth.
Every now and then, a game comes along for the iPhone that is simply wonderful. Hothead Games, the folks behind bigger-budget Penny Arcade Adventures and Deathspank games, should be proud of the fact that their new title for the iPhone, Cell Bound, completely fits into this category. This is one of those titles that manages to get just about everything right, and it does so with brilliant simplicity.
At first glance you'd probably be inclined to think Hidato Adventures is a Sudoku game and either sit down or move on (depending on your current tolerance for Sudoku). But good news! This game has nothing at all do to with Sudoku, save for the fact that it's also a number puzzle. It's actually quite a refreshing puzzle game unlike anything else I've played.
Dreams of a Geisha may on the outset appear to be just a beautifully-themed, but standard match-three title, but look deeper and you'll see a relaxing yet highly complex puzzler that offers four different gameplay modes and tons of extras within each. While not without faults, all of these elements combine to form a pretty enjoyable package in the end.
Munchies' Lunch is a pleasant surprise as casual puzzle games go, offering gameplay with actual depth and a family-themed story that has actual heart. In Munchies Lunch, you play the matriarch of a family of bouncing cartoon heads that must skillfully outwit enemies as she tries to gather food and water. Her family is on the run from monsters who've driven them out of their forest home in a scenario that is inspired by Footloose Games President Vlado Jokic's youth escaping from the Yugoslavian civil war.
Critical Mass is an upcoming puzzle game from two-man Australian indie game developer Manic Game Studios that brings traditional match-3 gameplay into the world of 3D. The game is launching on June 20, and in the meantime you can check out a gameplay trailer behind the cut.
OK, I'll admit it. Upon firing up Puppy Sanctuary, I grimaced in anticipation of a game I expected would be shallow, short and unbearably saturated with saccharine cuteness. What I didn't see coming was a well-crafted game defined not by schmaltzy sweetness but by a winning combination made up of an entertaining pet sim and challenging match-3 gameplay.
It was only a few weeks ago that we reviewed Casey's Contraptions, a puzzle game where the point was to complete menial tasks using all manner or crazy props like balloons and books, pipes and scissors. It was glorious in all its Rube Goldberg goodness. Now, hot on its heels we have The Incredible Machine, which has a very similar setup. Not that that's a bad thing, since they're both very good games.