Best new games of the week: Noda and Dwelp
Every week, our staff will handpick a game from the past two weeks that we believe is a must-have download for your iPhone or iPad. These games will always be from a wide variety of genres, but they are chosen because our own staff members love it and can’t quite put it down. So here are this week’s picks! Enjoy, and happy gaming!
Noda
Divide and add your way through the challenging puzzles of our Game of the Week!
Love numbers and puzzle games? Then you will enjoy our Game of the Week, Noda from ZealTopia Interactive.
Noda is a beautifully minimalistic game that will be easy on the eyes thanks to the flat aesthetics. The soothing background music will help you focus on the game at hand, and the bubbly sound effects are a nice touch.
The goal in Noda is simple: match the target number in multiples in the proper color, and all of this information is shown in the top left of the screen. The levels contain a grid of colored dots, and some have numbers on them. Players can swipe on the numbered dots to divide or add them together, but there are rules that come into play. Dividing needs an adjacent slot that is empty, and if it’s an even number it will be equal — if it’s odd, then it will be uneven. Adding numbers is when you swipe a number to another numbered dot, but the sum cannot be more than nine. The color of the result depends on the order in which you swipe.
It sounds confusing, but it’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it. The initial free download will have two level packs, but there are more available through in-app purchase. The puzzles can also be played in any order.
We always love a challenging numerical puzzle game, so this week Noda takes the cake. You can find Noda on the App Store as a universal download for free.
For a closer look at Noda, don’t miss my full review.
Honorable Mention Dwelp
Connecting the dots has never been done like this before.
Do you prefer to connect the dots in puzzle games, but want something new and fresh? Then look no further than our Honorable Mention this week, Dwelp by Alex Blaj.
This elegant game has gorgeous visuals that are sure to delight anyone looking for a minimal experience. It also has incredibly smooth animations when the dots connect, and is just a joy to look at as you play. There is a tranquil soundtrack that helps you concentrate, which is always nice.
The gameplay in Dwelp is a unique twist on the typical connect the dots game. Each level has a different grid layout of empty circles, and some scattered dots. You need to connect all of the like-colored dots together, and this is done by dragging one color dot to an empty space next to another same color dot. When these two connect, they lock, and you can now only move that group with another like-colored dot. The process is repeated until all of the colored dots are connected.
There are 100 hand-crafted levels in Dwelp, and each one can have multiple solutions, so you can think outside the box. If you are able to solve it in the least amount of moves possible, you will have “mastered” it. The stages start out with just one or two colors, but as you make progress, there will be several colors at once and the layout makes it difficult to get them all together without strategic planning. You can solve a puzzle in as many moves as needed, though, since the game doesn’t penalize you. Completing all levels will unlock more content.
Puzzle games are always welcome here at AppAdvice, and we enjoy creative spinoffs of classics, which is what Dwelp is. If you are a puzzle fan, this is a must-have. You can get Dwelp on the App Store as a universal download for $1.99.
For more information on Dwelp, make sure to check my full review.