When you open up Stickets for the first time, you’re given just one game mode: “space”. No timer—just the tension that comes with deliberately plotting your moves one by one. When you get fifty points—which will take many, many tries—you’ll unlock “time” mode, which flips the game’s concept on its head, turning your blocks into timebombs and forcing you to build larger chunks of color to survive. If your unhealthy desire to challenge yourself remains unquenched, the final mode—“puzzle”—gives you specific challenges and achievements to go after. Both additional modes add a ton of depth to the game and are a smart way of giving more serious players something to come back to.
Stickets’ perky presentation and aesthetics still feel a bit incongruous, considering the cold and calculated outlook on life the game will give you. An ambient soundtrack fills the background, which is strange enough for a puzzle game of this kind. Similarly, every time you place a block, reverberating sound effects color the music with even more atmosphere. It’s all pretty coo, but the floaty, laidback vibe doesn’t exactly fit the experience of playing a mind wracking puzzle game (especially since puzzle games are more suited for shorter, less immersive play sessions).
Stickets’ learning curve can be pretty staggering—many will undoubtedly try a couple of times and then quit in frustration. At most points in the game, you are only a few misguided moves from losing, and there is no undo button for when you make silly mistakes. But it’s clear that Stickets wasn’t really made for people looking for a casual time-waster. Once you get familiar with the game, begin to try out different strategies, and even start to recognize larger patterns, you’ll find one of the best iOS puzzle games this year so far—a rewarding experience that won’t stop challenging you to improve.
Stickets
Platform: iOS
Developer: Wanderlands
Release Date: 05/31/13
Price: $2.99
