Polymer Is A Fresh Take On iPhone Puzzle Games
Polymer ($0.99) by Whitaker Blackall is one of the most creative and unique puzzle games to come out in a while for your iPhone. It combines elements from the Rubik's Cube, Chuzzle, and Legos.
Really, let’s face it — iOS was made for puzzle games, and Polymer demonstrates that. I was immediately drawn in with the gorgeous visuals and amazing soundtrack. The music is subtle and peaceful, but it goes well with the game. The clicks and clacks of pieces snapping into place are a nice touch, as well. Everything about this puzzle game was made with care.
The game features three game modes: Two Minutes, One Polymer, and Bombs. You start out with only Two Minutes mode, and you must work to unlock the other two. The game also starts out with only a few pieces to work with, but as you play and accumulate points, you will unlock more polymer pieces as well. Of course, the game allows you to buy all of these unlocks if you don’t have the patience; I, however, will stick with the route of earning them.
Gameplay is quite simple. In each mode, you will have many polymer pieces scrambled up on the screen. You can slide each row and column to arrange pieces to form a single, complete polymer shape. If there are still black dots in the pieces, then that means that it is not complete. Tap on a completed shape to destroy it and collect points.
It definitely sounds simple, but it’s actually a real challenge, which is lacking nowadays. With Two Minutes mode, you have just that: two minutes to make as many polymers as you can and collect those points.
I wish that the game had more of a visual indicator of when you are about to run out of time though; sometimes I got so into making shapes that I didn’t notice the red timer in the corner. Of course, if you have the sound on, then you will be able to hear the audible warning. I just think that there should be a better visual warning as well, for those times where you will need your device on silent.
The One Polymer mode has no time limit, but your objective is to make the biggest polymer you can. Why? Because you can only make one, so make it count! The Bombs mode features endless waves of bomb pieces that need to be defused by making polymers with them. I haven’t obtained this mode yet (you need a lot of points if you don’t buy it), but I look forward to giving it a try when I finally do.
If you’re proud of a certain polymer that you’ve created, you can share your result on Twitter, or even save the shape to your Camera Roll. There is also Game Center integration for leaderboards and 26 achievements.
I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the game during my time playing it. However, I did find the game to be a bit frustrating at times, especially since you start out with somewhat crappy pieces and it seems to take a long time until you start getting the more versatile shapes. This can be a good thing too, though, since it will probably keep you playing until you obtain everything there is to unlock: game modes, polymer shape pieces, and even new color schemes. You can always check your unlock progress at the end of each game.
Polymer is a simple puzzle that is difficult to master. It definitely takes some time to get used to it, but once you do, you’ll be creating high-scoring polymers in no time!
If you're a puzzle fan, make sure to check out this unique game in the App Store. It's currently on sale for only $0.99 for a limited time.
