For some reason, Yuri is a janitor in a lab that either houses monsters, creates monsters, or creates, and then houses monsters. Through a mishap, the monsters are let out. Now obviously Yuri is in trouble. Not only for his life (as he now has monsters running around), but his bosses are not going to be happy when they find out what he's done. So Yuri does what any of us would do; he puts on his teleporting hazard suit and goes to round up all the rampant monstrosities.

Monster Meltdown is one of those special games. You know the ones that start out very simply, but then unveil just how clever they are over time? For instance, you tap on the screen to travel there through teleportation. It's immediate, fluid, and obeys the laws of gravity if Yuri appears in the air. Now you can only teleport to areas that you can visibly see (made known to you by a play of light and shadow), and through this power you have to guide the monster to the capture orb in each screen. Also, tapping the monster will swap its position with Yuri, and this little manoeuvre is one of the more useful in your arsenal. You gain a star for getting the little guy into the orb, and as the game continues, you learn how to gain the additional two stars. One is granted for having the monster collect all these little pellets, and the other is for completing the level under a requisite number of teleports.

Trying to achieve the final two stars encourages a bit of pre-planning before you start the level by engaging your first teleport, and this is where the game really shines. There's sort of a two part process. You create a plan of action, and then as your plan is being acted out, something may go wrong, and you have to improvise on the fly. It's this balance between these two approaches that makes each new stage a joy to play, and more than most games of this type, encourages the player to grab those three stars as a rewarding experience instead of just additional content.

As you go, you encounter other monsters that behave differently, which then add additional complexity onto the mechanics that you've been beginning to master. The gradual learning curve is sloped nicely, and really the whole experience is a joy to play. Now there are plenty of gamers who will be put off by the simple gameplay and the aesthetic (or those you really just dislike these easy to play arcade puzzle games that light the App Store on fire), but for those who enjoy this style of game, Monster Meltdown is a hidden gem, and is certainly worth your time and money.