Written Android App Review
Square Dot Lite, by Android developer Facing Obstacles, has taken the concept of a mobile puzzler and elevated it to new heights, combining the best of both Sudoku and Minesweeper into one, unbelievably inventive package. It’s a rough mix, but one that’s guaranteed to please both the hardcore and casual puzzling fan alike. Best of all, the app comes free in the Android Market with 10 whole levels to be enjoyed. For our full thoughts on this killer Android title, check below beyond the break!
Concept and Gameplay
Square Dot Lite
As mentioned, Square Dot Lite is best described as a hybrid mix of the puzzling action inherent to Sudoku, as well as the hair-raising madness of Minesweeper. It’s a clever combination, and one that comes with a somewhat impressive learning curve. However, there’s a handy help file included to guide the player along, getting them up to speed with some rapidity.
To offer a brief explanation, the user is presented with a single game board that at first glance looks a hell of a lot like Minesweeper. There’s a grid of blocks with a number residing in each square. This number indicates the number of corners that must be active for the ox to be complete. The player must then activate corners one at a time until each square has been marked with the required number of corners. However, this is made nearly impossible quite difficult by the need to wage all the boxes within the area. In this sense, the app is most like Sudoku, as it requires an immense amount of attention to the whole landscape to complete. Likewise, corners that are not being used must also be marked as inactive, though this is much less of a difficulty. All in all, though, Square Dot Lite is one of the slickest puzzlers we’ve ever seen for the platform, and we can’t get enough of its killer game mechanic.
Design and Graphics
Sadly, the game comes wrapped in—to our humble eye—a less than aesthetic package. The game board felt oddly small on our Android device, which though it isn’t the largest on the market, should have supported adequate space for the game’s needs. Similarly, we found the numbers within the squares sometimes difficult to read, as well as the menu text itself. This isn’t a deal breaker—in fact, it’s far from it—though we certainly hope future updates bring some swift revisions to the title’s demeanor.
Overall Value
At the end of the day, we can hardly argue with Square Dot Lite’s price: The app is free in the Android Market, making it an absolute steal for the puzzle hound with an Android device. We can’t recommend the app enough for its stellar gameplay, and though we might like a bit more eye candy, we can hardly turn down Square Dot Lite based solely on its looks.
Android Apps Review Details: Square Dot Lite app is free. This app requires Android 1.5 and up. You may download Square Dot Lite from the Android Market. A small expedite fee was paid by the developer to speed up the publication of this review.
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