Puzzle Lovers Rejoice: Win Crates Night Shift HD With A Comment
Crates Night Shift HD ($0.99) by Blitpop, lda. is that elusive breed of puzzler that is easy to play, yet endlessly challenging and inventive. It has elements of Gamehouse’s classic Collapse, but its execution is fresh.
The game’s premise is that you work at a loading dock on the night shift. Your job is to sort crates and load them onto a ship poised to deliver them around the world.
But, all that is really just thematic. You aren’t actually sorting anything; it's more like you are exploding crates. And, the only time the boat comes into play is by tooting and floating by to indicate you have cleared one of the over 140 levels.
The game board is comprised of multi-colored boxes. You need to have at least two of the same colored crates touching each other horizontally or vertically to remove it from the field.
When you do, the remaining pieces fall down and gaps are automatically closed. The basic gameplay mimics Collapse and similar puzzlers, so odds are you already know how this works.
But, even if you never heard of Collapse, you’ll figure it out in seconds, and be lost in play soon thereafter.
Check out the trailer:
As you can see, you are not just removing blocks from a grid. There are power-up crates, obstacle crates, and an amazing assortment of challenges as the game progresses.
Crates Night Shift HD presents the same basic challenge on every level, but the solutions are anything but redundant.
Gameplay is mellow; you aren’t racing a clock, you earn high scores by solving the puzzle with as few moves as possible by creating combos and using the special crates to your advantage.
While the pace doesn’t pick up, the intensity does. Each board requires thought and, if a perfect three-star rating is to be achieved, strategic thinking is your biggest asset.
Crates Night Shift HD sports high-resolution graphics, Game Center integration, and while it’s still a relative newcomer, it's very polished. I looked for problems, but found none. Even the sound effects are satisfying.
There is a known crashing issue for those running iOS 3.2, but version 1.1 is already pending approval and it resolves the problem.
The game is responsive, looks good and is certain to hook puzzle addicts, especially those sick of matching games or bird-themes. Its simplicity and originality make it shine.
Want to win a copy and get addicted yourself? Just leave a comment telling me why an overnight shift at the docks is just what you need in your life.
As always, those entrants who make me laugh hardest will win one of the five codes.
Contest Closes Sunday, May 9, 12:00pm EDT Good Luck!
