"Sudoku meets Die Hard" is how developer Squeezebox sums up Zero/Sum, a new puzzler releasing later this month that blends FMV cutscenes and b-action movie narrative with math-based challenges.

The good news is that Professor Claire Liddy finds the cure for cancer. The bad news is that she was killed by terrorists. The comedic framing for Zero/Sum's puzzles puts you in the shoes of one of Liddy's grad student, placing erased plus and minuses to complete equations and make them all equal zero. These puzzles start simply, with singular equations and simple math where each change to the equation dynamically adjusting the answer. But later challenges expand outward, creating a Sudoku-esque grid of vertical and horizontal equations, among other new mechanics. Humorously bad acting and cutscenes tell the tale of Zero/Sum between puzzles.

Zero/Sum is slated to release on May 16th and can be preordered for $1.99 on the App Store.