"Klocki"

If you’re depressed these puzzles are great. They’re relaxed and simple enough to avoid struggle or frustration, but they’re challenging enough to provide a pleasant distraction. If you want to zone out and zone into some minimalist puzzles, Klocki is darn near perfect. The difficulty ranges from easy to moderately complex, but they’re always satisfying. But what really makes this game fun is the VARIETY. All the puzzles are of the same family, but every dozen puzzles or so the puzzle mechanics and appearance change. This keeps the game feeling fresh and prevents the boredom that often sets in with these kinds of games. I enjoy all of the games from this developer and I’d gladly buy Klocki 2 and 3 if they were available.

Having originally encountered this game online years ago, this app version does not disappoint. Though a little shorter than I would like, I see that as a testament to how good the game really is. Additionally, the sound design is excellent and punchy but not necessary to enjoy the experience. Well worth the $1.99 pricetag.

This game is a gem. I love its aesthetic minimalism, which extends to its lack of instructions (they’re unnecessary here), bells, whistles and ending screen (who needs them — really?). The puzzles are not that many and not very challenging, I played through the whole thing in two or three sittings, but they’re so enjoyable that I started replaying them the next day already. So many similar (and often lauded) games, like Two Dots, are full of ads and/or attempts to lure you to buy stuff in-game. What a blessing then to meet a game that asks for your two bucks once and then never pesters you again, leaving you to its blissful play.