iPhone App Review – Boxi

Boxi is a box sliding puzzle app.  That doesn’t really set it apart.  It does offer up unique challenges by taking a new approach to the control of the sliding boxes.  Couple that with the minimalist design and creative use of basic in-game elements and you get a box sliding puzzle app that is refreshingly outside of the box.

This app offers 50 levels to play through.  You unlock them in succession, but once the level is unlocked you can play it at any time.  You can also play a random set at any time.  Gameplay is simple, but that actually adds to the complexity of the puzzle.  The play screen is filled with colored boxes, rocks and ice cubes.  Rocks don’t move and act as static barriers that can’t be altered.  Ice cubes don’t move, but they can be melted by hitting them with a sliding box.  Boxes can be slid in any direction.  They will continue to slide until they hit the wall, a rock, an ice cube or another block.  Connecting 3 or more boxes of the same color will remove them from the game.  The game ends when there are less than 3 boxes left of each color and all ice cubes have been melted.  A perfect score can be achieved by removing all boxes and ice cubes.

The game looks very polished.  The graphics are crisp and the colors are bright.  Sound effects are pretty basic for sliding boxes and button pushes.  There isn’t any background music but you can’t listen to your iPod in the background (which is kind of a bummer).  Time isn’t an element, which I really appreciate for these kinds of puzzles.  You can clear the level without being perfect, which I also really appreciate.

The brilliance of the app comes through in the later puzzles.  There is one called “Comb” that I found especially challenging.  The limited options in moving boxes forces you to think many moves ahead and plan out exactly how you want boxes to be positioned.  If not, you’ll often be staring at a screen with 3 boxes of the same color and no way to get them to line up and clear.  Ice cubes also play a much more important role than I anticipated.  It’s a lot more challenging than I expected it to be.  The first few levels make up a tutorial, which is a great way to integrate the instructions into the experience.

Overall, Boxi is a very well executed app that adds a fresh twist to a puzzle genre that has seen heavy rotation in the app store.  It provides a lot of replay value due to the push for a “Perfect” score on the puzzles.  The app looks good, plays great and offers up unique challenges and fun.  I would recommend this app for fans of puzzles, box sliders, strategy and fun.

Overall impression

★★★★★★★★★☆

Value for your money

★★★★★★★★★★

Category: Games
Type: Puzzle
Cost: 1.99
Rating: 4+

Current iTunes Reviews: 10 ratings, 4.5 stars

Description:

Slide the boxes!

“Slide boxes for a fun experience on your iPhone! If you are a fan of puzzle block games, Boxi will entertain you!” – www.appshouter.com

“It’s hard for me to call any app, or any game, brilliant, but Boxi sure does come close. 5/5 stars” – www.appstruck.com

Tap on a box and slide it to any direction. The box will stop next to another box or to the wall. If three or more boxes of the same color become connected in any shape, they will be removed.

If you remove two groups quickly you will get bonus points.

The ice cubes and the rocks are stationary.

If there are any ice cubes on the board you have to melt them down. You have to hit it with a normal box to melt it.

You can remove boxes in different shapes. Remove more boxes with one slide for more points.

Features:
- 50 levels
- Random Set game mode
- High scores
- Auto-save
- Quick level restart
- AGON based online high scores
- Reset function

People say:
- This is an excellent puzzle game. The graphics, transition animations, and the art style are perfect.
- Very nice puzzle game. Very polished. Is unique enough to hold its own.
- Boxi has excellent graphics and gameplay.
- An excellent job by the developer and well worth the asking price.

Game play video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIz9mZm18O4

What’s new

Minor bugfix
Updated graphics