puzzle

Babylonian Twins

Babylonian Twins is a tough, old-school puzzle-platformer with great graphics and unusual, unforgiving gameplay.

The game is an enhanced revision of a Commodore Amiga game developed in Iraq in the early '90s that was never published due to economic sanctions and the collapse of Commodore. Given its history, Babylonian Twins feels like a time capsule from that era of gaming, in ways both good and bad: Nostalgic gamers will love the long and intricately designed levels, but tricky twitch controls (made trickier by the touch interface) and a lack of modern checkpoints to save your progress can make the game … Read more

Physics based puzzler--with bombs!

You can't turn around in the App Store without tripping over physics-based puzzlers and games with a hand-sketched, graph-paper aesthetic--but Doodle Bomb still manages to be a fun, above-average entry into these two crowded subgenres.

Your goal in Doodle Bomb is to throw bombs--as few as possible--to escape each level. From your torn-out-paper perch, you're trying to blow up a green control panel to open a door and end each level. Along the way you have to blow up blue control panels to activate parts of the environment (such as hinges or wheels) and either avoid or exploit … Read more

Complete the pipeline

Aqueduct takes a page from those popular classic pipeline-type puzzle games, bringing the same challenging gameplay to your touch-screen iPhone or iPod Touch. Like many online versions of the game, the mission in Aqueduct is to use available tiles to create a pipeline between a spigot and drain before you turn on the water supply. Aqueduct adds to the old pipeline formula by including conveyor belt tiles, teleports, door switches, and more, to create a fun and challenging time-waster that's easy to pick up and play wherever you are.

When we first started playing Aqueduct, we weren't immediately … Read more

Photo booth and a fun puzzler: iPhone apps of the week

If you're reading this blog (or really if you read any tech news at all), you've certainly heard about all the reception issues with the iPhone 4's external antenna. When the news broke here in the CNET offices in San Francisco, people were running around demonstrating (mostly successfully) how the iPhone 4 drops its signal if you hold it in just the right "death grip." I haven't experienced the connectivity problems personally, because I'm still waiting for my iPhone 4 to come in the mail, but clearly this has become a legitimate issue.

A number of fixes have been floating around the Web for those who don't want to fork out 30 extra bucks for the Apple recommended "Bumper." Some people are using large rubber bands and even those 99-cent "Live Strong"-type wristbands that were popular a couple of years ago, but even these quick-fixes cause problems with access to those buttons on the sides of the iPhone 4.

The guys over at MacFixIt found an alternative fix that seems to be working for some users. If you're an iPhone 4 user who has been experiencing these issues, check out MacFixIt. It might be just the thing to fix your iPhone 4 issues and if you're a Mac user, there's nothing wrong with knowing about a great site for common Mac hardware and software problems (shameless plug for a CNET site, but the folks over there really do know a lot about Apple hardware). Go ahead and check out the fix to see if it works for you, then report back here!

This week's apps include an iPhone 4-exclusive photo-taking app and a puzzle game remake that works great on any iPhone or iPod touch screen.… Read more

Feline Physics

Cat Physics is a puzzle game that challenges you to pass a ball from one cat to another past obstacles and items that effect the trajectory of the ball. It has cute cartoon-like graphics and easy touch-screen controls that make this puzzler a fun diversion that's easy to pick-up and play. Though Cat Physics is very easy to understand initially, it gets challenging quickly. It has levels that require you to use a number of tools to get the ball past complex obstacles and land right at the feet of the receiving cat. There are 50 levels to play … Read more

Better Web browsing and feline physics: iPhone apps of the week

It's widely believed that Steve Jobs will announce the "iPhone 4G" at his keynote speech for Apple's World Wide Developers Conference on June 7. This is exciting for a number of reasons, but for me, it couldn't come soon enough.

My trusty iPhone 3G is still working as well as can be expected, but I'm noticing more and more that it struggles to keep up with some of the resource-heavy games I download. Beyond performance, there's a crack from the base of my iPhone that goes up its back that has definitely … Read more

Get Portal (PC and Mac) absolutely free

The game Portal is regarded by many to be one of the best of all time. GameSpot awarded it a 9.0 and an Editors' Choice. IGN called it "quirky, clever, polished, and presented with a spark of a subtly evil humor."

Originally part of Valve's The Orange Box bundle, then later a $20 standalone game, Portal is now available absolutely free. And not just for PCs, but also for Macs. (Speaking of which, be sure to check out Rich Brown's recent hands-on testing of Portal on four different Mac systems.)

The one and only string … Read more

Conquer space, blast zombies, play a Flash classic: iPhone games of the week

Looking for 5 minutes of fun? Then look elsewhere, because this week's new iPhone/iPod games are likely to consume considerable chunks of your time. You've been warned!

Babylonian Twins -- The Quest for Peace in Ancient Iraq: If you like running, jumping, puzzle-solving platform games (I know, are there any other kind?), you're sure to get a kick out of Babylonian Twins--a gorgeous, charming platformer with one of the most interesting backstories I've ever read. The game's launch price: $2.99. Oh, and don't miss Babylonian Twins HD for iPad ($4.99).

Giant Moto: Its name notwithstanding, this is a perfect little motocross game. Choose a track (there are six now; the developer promises more), then a color, and then decide if you want to ride solo or race against three AI riders. Giant Moto is all about jumps, turbo boosts, and scoring the best time. It's reminiscent of the Nintendo classic ExciteBike--but a lot purtier, to be sure. Well worth 99 cents.

N.Y.Zombies: A must-have for fans of Left 4 Dead, Resident Evil, and other zombies-run-amok games, this first-person shooter offers an endless onslaught of blood, guts, and gunplay. There's a plot, too, for those who like zombie-whompin' with a purpose. N.Y.Zombies' launch price is $1.99, but there's a free lite version if you want to test the undead waters. … Read more

JiuzhangTech puts new spin on classic puzzle games

Knowing I'd have a few hours to waste on a recent cross-country flight, I grabbed a couple of games from the Android Market to use on my phone. One developer in particular, JiuzhangTech Ltd, caught my eye.

Though none of its casual games are necessarily original, JiuzhangTech brings them to Android in a clean, classy way. Among the titles I've played so far are WordSearch Unlimited, Super Flood, WordTwist, and Hangman Classic. I'll tell you more about the first two games here, but I'm confident that all will be on my phone for quite some time. … Read more

Words With Friends: Like Scrabulous for iPhone!

Remember Scrabulous, the Facebook-powered Scrabble knockoff that was all the rage a couple years back? I was a serious addict, but lost interest after all the name changes, lawsuits, redesigns, etc.

Thanks to my evil friend Denny, my addiction is reborn--and mobile. Words With Friends is a two-player crossword challenge that offers turn-based, Scrabulous-like competition. It's not perfect, but I'm loving it.

The game lets you complete online against random players and/or friends. (Built-in Facebook/Twitter links let you post an invitation as a status update.) You can have up to 20 matches going at once, with … Read more