PuzzleManiak Review
PROS
- Twenty different puzzles with many being entirely unique.
- Advanced challenge and highscore search menus.
- Untangle is more fun than it ought to be.
CONS
- Some puzzles suffer for their poor explanations.
VERDICT
Some of the individual puzzles in Puzzle Maniak are better implemented than those in games available for $0.99, so with 20 puzzles available this is well worth trying.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
I'll confess, it's not often that I truly enjoy a puzzle game because I honestly prefer my games to be more... 'gamey'. Puzzle Maniak by Alexandre Minard is an assorted collection of borrowed puzzle ideas with some unique ones thrown in that keeps you pulled in through its sheer polish and clever online features.
Instead of being a hodge-podge of half-finished games Puzzle Maniak manages to implement each puzzle completely along with customizable difficulty levels. You're almost guaranteed to find something worth playing, from the intensely logical puzzles like LightUp to the sublimely zen-like Untangle. Controls are varied for each puzzle, but often make good use of the touch interface. Additionally, players can submit their scores online to challenge players around the world to beat thier score and even use an advanced search interface for highscores.
The only real big flaw is the game's learning curve. Puzzle Maniak includes basic rule explanations for each puzzle, but only sometimes identify the logic required to reach solutions. The menus are slick with a smooth cut-out design and alternate themes are available if you want a bit of a change.
Puzzle Maniak isn't an 'ultimate collection' of puzzle games, but it is an extremely polished attempt at being the only puzzle app you'll need. It's all the small things that prevent this from being truly great, but even if you only like a handful of the puzzles it's still a great investment.
Screenshots
$0.99
