Puzzle Roo Review

Originally an Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS title, Puzzle Roo has made its way to iOS and demonstrated that there is still some life in the formulaic 'blocks drop from the sky' puzzle game.

This time around, Puzzle Roo is almost reminiscent of those block games that we give children to learn about different shapes. A different kind of shape such as a star, circle, or square falls from the sky, and you have to rotate the various platforms underneath to ensure that the blocks reach the bottom of the screen safely. A tap to the left of the screen turns the platform one way, while a tap to the right moves it the opposite direction. It's simple and takes a few moments to wrap your head around but is pretty effective.

Starting out, each level is quite simple. Often you have to collect a number of the same shape but it's still pretty straightforward. Soon enough though, other challenges emerge such as enemies that get in the way and must be knocked out via a boost move, adding an extra component to the game. Chickens and eggs also play a role with the need to place a nest, followed by an egg, and then the chicken (yup, the egg comes before the chicken). In each case, the structure of the game remains the same, but it keeps things interesting.

While Puzzle Roo isn't the prettiest of games and its controls don't feel quite as intuitive as one would like (I often resorted to sticking to tapping one side quickly), it's an interesting new take on a familiar concept. Reasonably well priced as you can play it for free to check it out, it might well be worth your while.