If I had to compare, the game is somewhat a cross between Sudoku and crossword puzzles, though that’s not really even a fair comparison. The basic concept is that you are presented with a grid of NxN rows, where N is a number between five and 20. Each row and each column has one or more numbers in front of it. This indicates how many blocks must be filled in for that row or column. The main rule is that if there is more than one number, there must be at least one space between filled in blocks. You must use these numeric clues to fill in the grid and produce the requested object. You can opt for a hint before you start to solve the puzzle, in which case the computer will randomly fill in some squares for you. I suggest using this option on the bigger puzzles at least, because even with this “handicap” they will still prove to be a challenge. The levels are timed, and each wrong selection will deduct a few precious seconds, so you’ll want to at least be pretty sure that you’re clicking an appropriate square.

The game provides you with a couple of tools that I suppose are meant to make solving the puzzles a bit easier. There is a zoom option, but I personally find this cumbersome to use, as it appears the only way to move to different parts of the board when zoomed in is with the D-Pad. It would be nice to be able to click the section of the small image in the upper left corner of your screen that you wish to see in the zoomed in image. There’s also an X tool, that much like the flag in Minesweeper allows you to mark squares that you think aren’t part of the completed image. I feel like this adds too much clutter to the playing board, however. On the other hand, the one useful feature that’s missing from the game is a pause option. Currently, the only way to pause a level is to quit and start over.

There are 100 puzzles that come with the game, spread over three categories. The web site indicates that more puzzle packs are coming, but that was when the game was released last November, so it looks like for now you get what comes with the game. The included puzzles are sure to keep you busy for some time, though, especially once you get to the bigger grids (20x20 can be a real bugger at times).

Graphically, there’s no “whiz bang” to the game, but then that’s really not necessary for a puzzle game. The interface accomplishes its goal, which is to guide you through the game, and for the most part the final images look like the object that was requested of you, so there’s not much more to ask for from that perspective. I did appreciate the fact that everything in the game was a recognizable object, whereas in some other versions of this game that I’ve played it seemed like many of the puzzles were nothing more than random patterns. The only real flaw in the visuals was the annoying flashing that occurred on the menu where you had to select which puzzle you wanted to play.

The sound effects were sufficient but ultimately forgettable. The music was good, but way to short. It felt like there was only maybe a minute or two of unique music repeated ad infinitum.

This is one of the more enjoyable puzzle experiences I’ve had on my PocketPC in quite some time. Thankfully it wasn’t just another clone of some other popular puzzle game, which already allows it to stand out from the crowd. It also achieves a nice balance of difficulty for new puzzle gamers and veterans alike. This is one picture definitely worth piecing together.

Overall Score: 8/10
Product Page: Pixelpic Page
You can try or buy the game for $9.99 here