Persephone By: Plug In Digital / Momo-pi I was cautiously optimistic about trying the new mobile puzzler simply titled Persephone, named after the Greek queen of the Underworld. I loved the idea of killing yourself as part of the puzzle, and the artwork looked bright and polished. But not knowing anything about the developer, I was worried it might be too gimmicky and skimp on the actual mechanics. However, after just a…
Euclidean Skies By: kunabi brother GmbH / Miro Straka I'll be honest here. As much as I like puzzle games, I've never been very good at Rubik's Cube. So when Miro Straka's Euclidean Lands released last year, I was excited about it, as it was a very unique game, but I had a bit of a rough time with some of the harder levels, especially the bosses. I eventually managed to complete…
Fidel Dungeon Rescue By: Daniel Benmergui Just the other day, I was thinking how there have been a lot of PC ports for iOS lately, but they all seem to be platformers and other reflex-based games, genres that don't always feel right on a touchscreen. I was wondering where all the puzzle games are, as there have been quite a few I'd wanted to play, just not on a PC. Then, out…
Reigns: Game of Thrones By: Devolver Digital / Nerial In 2016, Nerial's first Reigns game took the world by storm with its super simple controls that felt perfect for touchscreens -- just swipe left or right to make choices. Combined with a challenging high score-chasing gameplay loop and cryptic meta game to uncover if you manage to follow all the clues, there's something for everyone. The basic premise is that you're a…
ELOH By: Broken Rules As a puzzle fan, there are some that I gravitate to over others, those that have the ability to hold my attention very easily. Reflective puzzles are one of my favorites, and if combined with solid presentation, it's likely I won't be able to put the game down until I complete it. Playmous' God of Light is one example, a game that combined clever mechanics with gorgeous graphics…
Chroniric XIX By: Plug In Digital Ever since the narrative choice-based game, Lifeline, became a huge hit, a lot of developers have tried to do their own spin on the formula. The idea is that someone contacts you from another smartphone or smartphone-like device and asks for your help. For some reason, you're the only person who can aid them. So, from the comfort and safety of your couch, you make life-and-death…
Where Shadows Slumber By: Game Revenant I confess that I hadn't previously played through the demo of Where Shadows Slumber that was available for the last year or two. Had I done so, I might have been prepared for the brutally violent story present in the release version of the game. On its surface, Where Shadows Slumber can be described as Monument Valley (MV) with shadows, but just a little bit into…
Returner Zhero By: Fantastic, yes Less than a year ago, Fantastic, yes' Returner 77 graced our touchscreen devices with some of the most impressive graphics I've seen on iOS. The easiest way to describe it was as The Room in space. It took place on an alien spacecraft where everything is made out of crystal. That means light glints off the myriad surfaces, creating an almost magical effect. And that's besides the…
