Puzzlejuice Review
PROS
- Addictive mix of commonly aped arcade puzzler elements.
- Clean, clear and bold visuals make it easy to keep track of the action.
- Sharp audio track keeps you focused and relaxed.
- Designed with multiple skill levels in mind, from casual to truly hardcore puzzle fans.
CONS
- Euro Extreme Mode could be enhanced from a preview-display toggle; or at least a single preview in-line with classic Tetris.
- Currently no achievements for junkies to obsess over.
VERDICT
Puzzlejuice is the perfect way to zone-out while testing your fundamental gaming skills at multitasking in a puzzler environment; gorgeous executed in almost every way.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
If you haven't reached a comfortable state of equilibrium with common arcade titles that feature gameplay elements such as color-matching, word-finding or block tessellating, then I can only assume you're a very VERY recent convert to the world of gaming. Don't worry, you'll join the fold soon enough and if you're interested in getting there even faster you can play Puzzlejuice because it combines all three.
The best part is it caters to those with only a few seconds spare; those who consider themselves experts in all three areas; and those who haven't quite got the hang of either one. 'But how?', I hear you cry out. I doubt it was an easy task, so it's no surprise to see a superstar trio of developers that include a musician from Mass Effect 2; an indie developer who worked on the amusing P.B. Winterbottom; and the artist behind the upcoming Ridiculous Fishing.
To pull off this odd combination of gameplay, the player needs to wrap their head around the basic stages of how the game constantly changes. Initially the game is like Tetris, with blocks that can be dropped in to place at the bottom of the screen. These blocks are covered in colors which can subsequently be matched in groups of three or more if you tap them, turning them in to a random assortment of letters. Similarly, if you create a full line you'll also convert the blocks in to letters. At this point the player can swipe to select words (diagonals are allowed), with blocks surrounding the word also being 'destroyed', allowing play to continue. Multipliers rack up; power-ups eventually add themselves to the mix; and fun in general is had.
There is more to be had though as the basic gameplay (while initially confusing) can be quite easy thanks to the generous clearance of blocks around words. Thankfully those after a challenge can switch to 'Euro Extreme Mode' to remove block clearing around words less than 5 letters long. Completing objectives handed out by the game also rewards the player with power-ups that can be manually chosen before starting up a new game.
Everything about Puzzlejuice exudes with style, subtle humor and clever considerations for the iOS gamer. The bold, bright and clear aesthetics make it easy on the eyes no matter what situation you're in; the subtle, yet clever mechanics keep you satisfied as you constantly multitask; and the crisp, sharp audio pokes at the mind, keeping it alert.
Puzzlejuice is a perfect puzzling package that may not be able to claim being purely original, but the way in which it combines commonly used puzzle tropes is most certainly a treat to enjoy.
Screenshots
$1.99
