To understand Fluxx by Playdek and Looney Labs you have to understand 'madness' itself. If you reach back to the days of your youth, there are undoubtedly examples of play time with friends where 'playing' was all that mattered - rules existed in a basic sense, but they were ever-changing and evolving, almost at random. Fluxx embodies this free-spirited insanity to create a card game that is never the same game each time you play it; in fact it's entirely different from round to round, and even turn to turn.

The basics rules are easy to learn and newcomers will pick things up quickly - draw one card, play one card. Unfortunately everything is downhill (or perhaps uphill if luck is on your side) from there on out. Rule-change cards override the basic game, providing options ranging from increasing the cards drawn per turn; forcing players to use all of their cards in one go; and even restricting the size of a hand to a single card.

Ultimately the goal of the game is to fulfill a Goal by having the right Keepers in play. Keepers are random objects that can be shuffled around the board thanks to Action cards, or restricted thanks to Rule cards. Should you be lucky enough to have the right Keepers while the appropriate Goal is out, you win... unless the rules say otherwise.

Players can not only compete against AI opponents, but multiple online matches can be played at the same time to keep you busy. In a neat twist the developer has added 'turn timers', placing a limit on the time a person can be away from their device before they forfeit - with everything from 15 minutes to 3 days it's a great way to know if a game you're joining is casual or fast-paced. Also, a handy-dandy on-screen button will indicate when turns in other games are available - touch it and you'll be whisked away to make your turn immediately.

While Fluxx for iOS doesn't contain all the madness of newer versions of the board game, it's still a brilliant way to test your memory and wits. A great pick-up for those who love zany board games.