Puzzle Craft

Title: Puzzle Craft
Platform Played On: iPhone
Release Date: August 16, 2012
Date Played: August-September 2012
Time Played: 30+ hours
Completed (Y/N): N/A
Score: 4/5

Opinion:
The iOS store is flooded with 99 cent junk. It is rare to come across a good game, and there are very few good games that have been made specifically for the iOS platform. Most of the decent stuff are ports of the existing games. This is slowly starting to change though. As the developers are starting to figure out what works and what doesn't on iOS. Puzzle Craft is one of these example where the developer has figured it out.

Your main objective in Puzzle Craft is to build the most awesome village that ever was. Majority of the gameplay takes place via a connect more than 3 of the same thing puzzle game. By connecting more at the same time you can get better things. For example connecting 10 wheat will yield a carrot. You can then hire villagers to reduce the amount you need for the next tier. For example, after hiring 3 "reapers" you will need only 7 wheat to get a carrot. This principle applies to all resources you harvest. Eventually you will start getting pests and wild animals. For example rats eat your wheat and wolves eat your chickens. Overall the game is structured as a basic form of supply and demand chain. You pay the farmers to collect wheat and meat for you, which you in turn use to feed the miners that gather rocks and minerals, which you use to build better buildings and expand your village.

While Puzzle Craft has an in app store where you can buy gold for real life money it is completely optional, and the games makes sure you feel that way. You are provided with plenty of supplies and gold by solving in game puzzles (in essence playing the game). You are given more than you would need to play the game normally. But if you do want to just rush through it you still have that option. Very few games with in app transactions manage to pull this off. Most of them try to get you hooked at first but then put you in a situation where unless you spend real life money you will have to deal with a grindfest.

Puzzle Craft is the type of a game that you play over a long period of time. I can see myself going back to it for a few minutes a day for at least the next several months. It was a great way to make the flight from Cartagena, Colombia to Ft. Lauderdale, FL seem like a 30 minute trip. Puzzle Craft is 99 cents, and in my opinion worth every penny.