John Bedford: Falling block puzzle games may not be anything new, but Robot Invader certainly have a different tale to tell with this age-old gameplay in Rise of the Blobs. Marsh Mal the marshmallow (of course), is trying to hold off an invasion of blobs, and naturally the only way to deal with this threat is to hurl pieces of fruit at them.
U jelly?
By Chris Schilling
Version tested: Android
If you ask me, sound design is such an underrated facet of a good puzzle game. Think of Game Boy Tetris and the wonderfully weird little squiggle it treated you with for clearing four lines at once. Or the original Puzz Loop's snooker-ball clacks, Bejewelled's clinking gems and Drop7's porcelain crack. It's a big part of what keeps you coming back - if you think about it, a lot of puzzle games are essentially about tidying up, and the pops, bangs or jingles that reward you for a job well done are the game equivalent of being handed a sheet of bubble wrap after hoovering the spare room.
Striking the right balance in a puzzle game is vital. If you make the mechanics too simple, it becomes boring. But make them too complicated and it becomes frustrating. Hitting the middle ground is not an easy task. Rise of the Blobs is proof of this.
148apps: Robot Invader is the kind of developer I've come to associate with quirk and quality. Rise of the Blobs fits nicely into both categories.
