App it Up: Stuck Genie

Category: Puzzle games
Developer: Cobra Mobile
Requirements: iPhone OS 2.0 or later
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod Touch
File Size: 9.0MB

What is it?

Stuck Genie is a unique puzzler that kind of combines those labyrinth marble games with Tetris, without really being anything like either.

How does it work?

Mostly, you just stare at it. This is definitely the type of puzzle game that requires more thought than interaction, but that’s a good thing. After working your way through an oddly cumbersome options/set-up menu, you’re presented with a grid of obstacles and balls resting on individual playing squares. You goal is to guide your yellow ball through the obstacles and next to all of the blue balls. This is done by flicking the touch screen in the direction you want to move. But you have to be careful; where you touch the blue ball is where it will stay in proportion to your yellow ball as you move on, so you need to line things up properly in order to advance.

That, then, is the Tetris bit; you can rotate all of the balls currently touching your yellow ball, but only clockwise, and the mass will retain its shape. For instance, if you have four blue balls in a vertical line beneath your yellow ball, rotating them will give you four blue balls in a horizontal line to the left of your yellow ball (the yellow ball is always the pivot point). So, as you carry these balls through the maze, you need to account for how you will reach all of them through the obstacles, and plan your pick ups accordingly. The board has to be cleared within a certain time frame, and you get more points for faster completion.

Features

• 73 levels.
• Colorful graphics and lively audio with a polished presentation.
• Simple gameplay makes it fun for children and adults, although many of the later puzzles are quite devious.
• Ability to save multiple players.

App it Up, Sum it Up

Stuck Genie will not be a top app for the majority of iPhone gamers. Rather, it’ll likely become one of those games you play infrequently, but that you never delete from your iDevice because it’s always good for a quick gaming session. It’s very well designed, it’s stable, and it’s perfectly suited for killing time in 5 to 15 minute bursts.

Cost – $1.99
Worth the Money? – Yes, especially for puzzle gamers seeking something new.
Availability – Now, at the iTunes App Store.