Spin and tap to make matches in a puzzling Sea of Squares

Sea of Squares (Free) by Electrofish Interactive Ltd is a relaxing puzzle game that will help you unwind after a long day. If you liked other games like Zirkel, Manowar, and Domino Drop, then the chances are high that you will enjoy Sea of Squares.

I’ve gone through hundreds of games on my iOS devices over the years, but the one genre that I just can’t ever get enough of is definitely the puzzle game. While I like to relax with a good video game, I prefer to keep my mind stimulated and “on,” so-to-speak, so naturally puzzle games are a great fit. I look forward to grabbing some new puzzles each week on the App Store, and Sea of Squares is one that got my attention when it came out last week.

Sea of Squares has a minimalistic design to it that I’m loving, as it sports a flat look throughout the menus and buttons, but has some nice 3-D rendering when it comes to the layout of each puzzle. The background is completely black, so it makes the colored squares and cubes contrast nicely against it. The chosen typeface is sleek and modern, giving the game a chic appearance overall. Animations are smooth and fluid, and while there is no soundtrack to the game, the clicking and swooshing sound effects are fun to hear.

There are three game modes in Sea of Squares: Relaxing (four colors), Timekilling (five colors), and Challenging (six colors). There are 100 different puzzle layouts in the game that are duplicated across all three game modes. This means that while there are only 100 different puzzles, it will be different depending on the mode that you choose to play. The goal remains the same no matter which route you go, though: match up two or more adjacent cubes of the same color until there are no more. While it sounds easy, it gets pretty difficult later on.

The controls in the game are simple and intuitive. To make matches of at least two squares or cubes, just tap on the cluster. Once they’re removed, the other pieces will shift over accordingly, giving you even more possibilities. And since the game is in 3-D, that means more depth and layers to the layouts, so you can rotate the entire puzzle by dragging your finger around. Doing the pinching gesture will zoom in or out, giving you a better view of the stage.

If you have looked at every nook and cranny of a puzzle and can’t find any more matches to make, don’t fret! The game gives players five shuffles, which they can activate with a touch of the button in the top left. But don’t use them unless you certainly have to, because the more shuffles you have remaining by the end, the more bonus points you’ll get. Larger matches will net you more points too, so plan accordingly.

Like most matching puzzle games, there is a high amount of replay value here, since you can always go back on a level to try and improve on your score. To top things off, there is Game Center integration for leaderboards on all three modes, though there are no achievements to obtain.

I’ve been playing Sea of Squares over the weekend and have been thoroughly enjoying it so far. The game’s simple and clean visuals are aesthetically pleasing, the sound effects are a nice touch, and the gameplay is simple but difficult to master — as is any good and challenging game. I just wish that the puzzle layouts could have been different across the three game modes, but it’s not a big deal. Hopefully more designs are added in future updates.

I recommend checking out Sea of Squares if you’re a puzzle game fan. You can get Sea of Squares as a universal download on the App Store for free with no in-app purchases.