Who knew that a puzzle game that doesn’t involve shooting birds at structurally unsound architecture could be fun? But that’s definitely the case with Burn It All – Journey to the Sun, which leads this week’s crop of quality iPhone games. Setting things on fire is always a good time, but the puzzler requires strategy in order to beat each level’s timer, which makes it more than just a bit of pyro indulgence. Keep reading, because we’ve got everything you need to know about Burn It All below, plus four more great selections.
Burn It All – Journey to the Sun (iPhone, iPad) $0.99
The guys from Bulkypix have created a puzzle game that’s kind of similar to the popular Burn the Rope, but instead of trying to maintain the flame as you do in that game, Burn It All is about strategically setting fires in order to beat a timer. By dragging a flame to touch objects like ropes or cardboard cutouts, you can set them aflame with the aim of removing everything as quickly as possible. Order and precision are key, as is speed, setting Burn It All apart from many other puzzle games in the iTunes App Store. It’s hard to put down and packs 100 levels — a pretty good deal for a buck.
Frisbee Forever (iPhone, iPad) Free
Great graphics and solid gameplay take center stage in Frisbee Forever, which also packs 100 levels of physics-based play — but for an even better deal than Burn It All. You guide a frisbee through various courses in attempts to snag stars along the way. You throw your disc by flicking it, then control the flight with either touch or tilt controls. Frisbee Forever requires some precision and you’ll have lots of levels to play through to build your skills, and there’s nothing better than a price of free.
TinkerBox (iPhone, iPad) $0.99
TinkerBox is another powerful puzzler that recently hit the App Store. To solve its brain-busters, you’ll move machinery and components around each level to create paths. Sometimes you’ll use machines to power wheels or conveyor belts, or swing objects around to move others. TinkerBox is a little tougher than a lot of other puzzlers, but there’s a ton of content inside the app and you can even build your own Rube Goldberg-esque invention in a free-play mode. The game includes a ton of content, and runs only a buck.
Hyperlight (iPhone, iPad) $1.99
Mixing tilt-based shooter Tilt to Live with more traditional two-stick vehicles like PewPew is Hyperlight, a shooter in which you don’t have any guns. Instead, you play like a pacifist, dodging your enemies as you move around the 2-D space that makes up the game and trying to snag power-ups that will enable you to fight back. Tilting hard lets you activate a speed boost that lets you ram bad guys, but otherwise, you’ll need to use your reflexes and your wits to rack up a high score. Hyperlight is a tense affair, and definitely worth snagging for shooter fans.
Snuggle Truck (iPhone, iPad) $1.99
Bouncing around in the back of your Snuggle Truck is a pile of fluffy animals you need to get to the zoo — so it’s time to hit the gas and try to keep from flipping your truck and losing your cargo all over the game’s various levels. Ramps, jumps, hills and lots of other obstacles will give you trouble as you go, requiring you to be careful about the gas and brake with your touch controls, and landing your truck safely with tilt controls. Speed is key to a high score, as is being careful not to lose too many animals along the way, and the physics of Snuggle Truck make bouncing along its 2D tracks both fun and challenging.
