Format: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch
Developer: Large Animal Games
I have played many puzzle games the last few years. Actually I think this is something that is really not exclusive to me as the puzzle genre has to be one of the most popular on the iOS. Anyway I have played some very complex puzzle games, but Color Zen is by far one of the most simple puzzle games I have ever played. Yet in this simplicity there is quite the fiendish puzzle game.
As far as the graphics go there really is not a great deal to say. Each level has as series of different colored shapes. It really is quite soothing on the eyes and that is clearly by design. As Color Zen is a game that is intended to be played to chill you out. And I think this graphical style does actually do that. The game also has a very soothing soundtrack that adds to the games laid back visuals.
The idea of the game is breathtakingly simple. When you start you will have a series of colored shapes on the screen. You will also notice that there is a border of a specific color around the screen as well. Now by using your finger you can move these different colored shapes around the screen. If you move a blue circle into say another blue circle the whole screen will turn blue. The idea is that you need to beat the level by making the whole screen the same color as the border. So if the border when you start is orange then it will be the orange shapes that you want to move together last of all.
When you first start the game is actually really simple as there are only a few shapes to worry about, but after a while things get a little more complex. You can have multiple shapes and colors together. For example you can have a orange triangle that happens to have a blue one inside. So you need to do some problem solving in order to figure out where and when you should move them.
The great thing about this is that it is actually never really frustratingly difficult. The game has been designed to make your brain work, but not in a overly hard way. To help you out some of the colored shapes that you can move will sort of pulse. This does help you out sometimes a level when you first open it up can seem quite daunting, but the majority of them can be figured out without too much frustration.
This is a great puzzle game and it is one that really can be played by gamers of all ages. Considering this on the iOS store right now for under a buck then I really think this is a game you should download. Even my kids have had some fun with this game so it really is a family game.